Lithium
by owlloveyou
Summary: Her actions have affected me, Kurama… and now Yusuke. Kurama and Yusuke protected me; they risked their lives to save me and everyone they love many times. In return, I would protect them… and everyone else like them. I printed my name on the dotted line, pressing the pen hard against the paper to see my signature clearly in dark blue ink. Sequel to "Nervosa."
1. Carefree Highway

**A/N**: Here it is: the sequel to _Nervosa_!

I recommend reading _Nerv._ before you begin this. In Kurama's POV, there's some spoilers, but I left enough out to probably leave you confused if you didn't read _Nerv._ before this. So you know, this is **not** meant to be a standalone fic.

As a warning, the rating will go up to M in the future, mainly for graphic violence and dark themes.

* * *

_**PART I. "Carefree Highway."**_

* * *

_"My friends don't come dime a dozen.  
The good Lord knows I couldn't ever leave 'em behind."_

_— Slade Echeverria._

* * *

**Aiko.**

"Welcome juvies and delinquents alike!"

My boot heels gripped the slanted, rough wooden tiles beneath me. I could see the entire city from my vantage point. Beneath the hill was a sea of green and colorful cherry blossom and plum trees among the roofs of buildings and homes alike. The photo-worthy scene was all under a beautiful, wispy-clouded sky; there wasn't a dark cloud in sight.

Hirogawa's voice boomed out of the speakers as he carefully strode next to me. "And the rare but ever-present convicts!"

"To _Kagami Mansion_!"

The crowd directly below us on the yellowed, dirt-patched front lawn cheered and roared. Even from up here I could see them itching to get past Sasakawa, Kazuki, and inside the mansion. The brawns of our operation, our Bull, held a mean mug that could rightfully scare a convicted felon so nobody dared to test their luck.

"Tell them what they have to do, Stray Cat," Hirogawa said.

I made sure to look past the crowd of men below and into the beautiful scenery to ensure I didn't stutter.

I brought the mic to my mouth again and let my free hand fly behind me to point at the very top, flat roof—almost resembling Meiou's without the safety railing, chain-link fence.

"Make it to the top roof."

Hirogawa laughed, ruffling his black bowl cut. "Anything else you think is important?"

"Oh, right." I grinned. "You have one hour."

"You're a cold girl," Hirogawa howled with laughter through the mic.

"Everyone who makes it to the top roof before the hour ends competes in an all-out brawl for the last four Megallica tickets!"

The crowd cheered so loud I figured we might as well pack up and leave since some resident way down at the end of the hill would call the cops. We were thankful to have Amakusa in one of the rooms below on the police scanner.

I was sure they all wondered how we were able to maneuver and set up this event in the abandoned mansion. I bet they all thought it was something intricate since Hirogawa was involved. It was actually simple.

Out of boredom and desire for a change of scenery during his routine, recreational drug use, Hirogawa decided to spend one long weekend in the mansion… after breaking and entering. Searching and exploring, he happened upon the master plans of the house and the other prints of the eccentric developer's eclectic buildings throughout Western Japan.

Hirogawa waved his hand around, asking them to calm down. "I feel we're missing something, you guys."

I thought for a second, running through our checklist in my head. "Hm… No refunds."

"No… well, yeah. But one more thing."

"What?"

"Back-up!"

We were trespassing after all.

"Better take this down," I said, tapping my temple with my index finger, feeling the gel nail pierce against my skin. "If the cops are called and we're all busted, we're meeting at the abandoned Community Ruins construction site where the all-out brawl will be held—so all plans here will be _cancelled_! If you don't show up an hour after the signal, you don't participate."

We knew there would only be three people at _most_ participating here due to our intentional setup, so I hoped we wouldn't get caught. It would be harder to control an entirely chaotic environment like that; at least if we left them in the mansion we could control things.

"You'll hear this—" He pulled the small air horn out of the back pocket of his baggy jeans and pressed it, letting it blare into the mic and out of the speakers for a few seconds. "It'll last for ten seconds."

"We don't have a chime for when the hour's up. That's all on you! Hope you have a watch."

"We _will_ lock the top roof's entrances after the hour!"

Neither Hirogawa nor I were worried about anyone busting it down, or trying anything funny since Sasakawa was packing heat. I mean, the gun wasn't _loaded..._ it was just to fear-monger. But even these walking sacks of meat knew better than to risk their chances with Sasakawa pointing a gun at their face.

I tapped my foot on the tile. "Everything understood?"

The crowd roared louder than before, and Sasakawa opened the front doors as Hirogawa and I yelled.

"_Begin_!"

* * *

**Kazuma.**

I couldn't believe it was such a big turn out—there were at least a hundred people here! Maybe more. So with the ten thousand yen entrance fee, they had to have made at _least_ a hundred thousand yen! *****

I stood my ground and weight as I pushed past the large entrance with the majority-male crowd—but I instantly realized why they gave us an hour. Everyone continued to push blindly into the poorly lit foyer, all clambering for the staircase that lay ahead.

I stopped and let the rest of the crowd run past me when I noticed something from the corner of my eyes. A dirty mirror… no big deal, right? Except when I looked down and found the floors were mirrors as well… and the other wall, and the wall at the other end of the foyer, and the ceiling…

The entire house was made of mirrors!

On cue, Aiko's cackling rang out from the speakers outside.

"Enjoy your stay at Kagami Mansion!"

My reflection was infinite, stretching out into a great, dark unknown as I got smaller and smaller in the distance. Reflections bounced off curved and slanted walls and stairs, creating a big, visual mess.

"It's a fucking maze!" someone cried as they ran down the stairs to try another path. "Some bullshit optical illusion maze!"

"I knew it was too good to be true!" A girl ran down the steps, furious, before taking a right and entering another room. "Hirogawa wouldn't make it _that_ easy! What a prick."

I stood still, debating what to do. It was a maze and all the mirrors did was trip us up! I couldn't use my reiki ever since the tournament ended but my hunches were still good… so I couldn't have completely lost it, right?

Gah! I already wasted ten minutes debating what to do.

I grumbled, wondering what the best way to approach this was. This was a trick house, right? So… there was going to be a bunch of hidden passages. I couldn't spend time banging on every mirror here for a secret passage and my reiki was out of whack so I couldn't use that. I'd have to hope my hunches were still good.

Twenty minutes now…

Some guys that found their way back to the main entrance left, walking past me and cursing loudly.

Slowly, I began walking through the foyer, heading straight. Coming to a fork in the foyer that led into two hallways, I debated which would be best.

Taking my gut instinct, I made a left and headed down another dimly lit hallway. A couple of grown men ran past me, confused and angry, but I continued to push forward, convinced in my guess.

As I soon realized the hallway led to a staircase, I didn't feel right about it and instead made a quick right into one of the rooms. There didn't seem to be any furniture in the house, only mirror. Mirror after mirror after dirty mirror and the lone, occasionally broken window if you were lucky.

I stood in the room I entered, feeling right about it—but I couldn't place why. It really didn't look right. It was an empty room with a broken window. I wandered around the room as people in the hallway continued passing by, their reflections disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

Maybe it was a trick room. "Hopefully..."

I felt around the room, rapping my knuckles on the mirror as I walked around until I found a hollow knock. I placed my hand against the portion of the mirror and pushed, confused, until it swung open. Like a revolving door, it opened, spun, and pushed me inside as it completed a one-eighty.

I stumbled inside the narrow, dark hallway. I felt around with one foot, finding steps. I stepped up them carefully, slowly, holding my hands out in front of me. I could feel it turning, angling. I walked into a few walls that wouldn't open and found I was supposed to make turns.

Soon I came to a dead-end and nowhere to turn. I pushed on the walls until one, like the first wall, slowly spun open and I stepped outside as it revolved. I exited the small room I was in to the hallway and looked over the banister to see where I was. Right below was the foyer and a bunch of people scrambling around room to room.

Steadying myself since it was dizzy to look down and see _hundreds_ of people all at once, I quickly looked away and tried focusing on my floor. It was still a mess and even worse up here since slanted walls reflected everyone below.

"I probably only have ten minutes left by now…" I grumbled to myself, checking my watch on my wrist.

I just had to find a way to the roof.

"One floor away."

Walking down the hallway, I tried not to pay too much attention to the moving reflections so I could keep steady and focused.

I put my hand on the wall, knocking gently. I didn't think there'd be another room with a secret staircase but there might be one in the hallway. I walked around the hallway, following it blindly, not exactly feeling like I shouldn't be headed down this way... but not that I should either.

I began to turn back but something smooth grazed my hair and I all but jumped out of my skin. I looked around for what small object could have touched me but found nothing. Confused, wondering where else something could have come from, I looked up and gently patted my hair.

"Please don't be a huge spider," I mumbled, breath caught in my throat.

If it wasn't for that small glint a few feet above me given by the light from a nearby window, I wouldn't have noticed the glass string.

I looked around the floor to make sure nobody else could see me. I pulled the string carefully, a square mirror flap on the ceiling opened upon tugging, and a clear glass ladder slid out.

I had to hurry up the ladder before anyone else saw!

Once settled in the dark room, I pulled the ladder up and the door with it, putting me in darkness again. I would have been more concerned if I didn't hear Aiko's laughter, the smell of skunk, and loud hip-hop music playing. I stumbled around the room until I found a doorknob.

The bright, outside light was blinding but my eyes adjusted quickly.

Aiko cheered from her seat across the cement roof on the ground. "I _knew_ he'd make it!"

"Lucky you, kid," said the older guy with a bowl cut. "I was just about to lock up. I was beginning to think we gave too little time for more than one person to show up."

"Looks like it's just Kuwabara and Matsuoka!" Aiko said, pulling a rolled cigarette out of her mouth and placing the mic in front of it. "Great. Lock it up. Let's get this fight _going_!"

Matsuoka… I looked around the open roof as a gust of wind blew by. My eyes landed on bowl-cut guy. I guess he was Hirogawa.

He spoke into a walkie-talkie. "Copy Dog to Hawk, how's the scanner? Over."

The walkie hissed before another voice could be heard. "_Copy Hawk to Dog, no reports of noise complaints. Clear for now. Over_."

"Remind him to lock the windows too," Aiko said. "Someone could still get up here through those."

Then the thug that guarded the front door was up here… No.

"We're starting now. Stray Cat says lock up all the windows, will you? Over."

"_Copy that, over_."

There were some speakers and a boom box… Other than that, the only other person up here was…

"How did he even fit through that door?!" I screamed at Aiko once I saw the obese man I had to fight.

His huge size wasn't even just fat, there was definitely muscle underneath. He was also taller than me at about a hundred and ninety-five centimeters. He had these thick lips that had trouble lying over his teeth, like he'd have to put effort in keeping them shut. He had this buzz cut that reminded me of Okubo, a stubby nose like a pig, and his face was meaty enough to make his eyelids heavy so his eyes were just slits. ******

"I was surprised too, but it happened so... easily!" she laughed.

She closed the plastic top over her salad before passing Hirogawa, who returned to her side, the cigarette.

"Five-second count when you're down," she announced into the mic, nudging the boom box away from her with her foot as it changed songs. "No kidney shots, but you can hit each other's dicks to your personal delight. Throwing your opponent off the flat roof is an automatic win but ill-advised."

Skipping between us, she had an eerie resemblance to the Dark Tournament referee Juri as she lifted her hand in the air.**  
**

"Matsuoka versus Kuwabara!" she yelled into the mic. "Begin!"

She wasn't even there! Maybe it was a girl referee thing…

Uh-oh.

He lunged towards me, running at full speed with his fist cocked back. He was surprisingly fast for being such a big guy! But after the tournament, this should be a piece of cake!

I dodged him, sidestepping him so his fist would push past me. Wind carried with his punch and I stumbled as a gust tried pushing me off my feet. How he was able to lift that log of a leg was one of the Seven Wonders of the World to me, but he turned swiftly and aimed his foot at my face.

I couldn't make it out of the way in time. I moved my arms to my face for protection. The hard blow came in seconds and I stood my ground, keeping my legs firm as the kick sent me sliding back.

"How on Earth can this fuck run that fast?!" Aiko laughed into the mic. "He's coming full speed at Kuwabara—both hands up like he trained to be a professional boxer."

I stayed crouched, readying my own fists. Throughout the tournament I got used to using my reiken but I couldn't use that. Even if I wanted to I couldn't, not to mention it wouldn't be fair.

His thick lips pulled back further and showed clenched teeth as he jabbed at me. I moved my head out of the way of each jab until I could muster a good punch to counter. He aimed a bit too high, for my forehead, so I ducked and stepped forward.

"Oh! And Kuwabara sends multiple heavy blows to Mastuoka's torso—I can't even count, it was so fast!"

And he still barely budged!

Maybe I shouldn't hold back...

If I could step up the punches I could get some leverage. Throwing him over the ledge probably wasn't going to happen with how big he was, so I'd have to tire him out, get him to _trip_ off the roof, or knock his lights out—meaning a punch straight to the dome. It was a toss-up between the first or last choice.

"And Matsuoka tries a stunning uppercut! Luckily, Kuwabara dodges swiftly—stepping out of the way and putting distance between the two of them!"

I wasn't Hiei; I couldn't give him the run around like that. I'd have to go with my last choice: punch him hard enough to knock him out his socks.

"Kuwabara sprints to Matsuoka! Kuwabara's fast and doles out a stunning punch straight to the jaw!"

Once my knuckles hit the bone, I knew I'd have this after the next punch! His head cocked back sharply and he stumbled backwards, clutching his bloody mouth. I sidestepped away from him as he swatted at me with his other hand like he was trying to catch a fly. I readied my other fist for his cheek, aiming for his temple this time, but he caught me off guard.

He turned his back to me?!

By the time I could react to the rounding kick, his foot already connected with my ribs. I had the wind knocked out of me as I flew across the roof. The pain hit my arm first as I skid across the floor, then my back...

"Holy shit…" Aiko's voice pulled away from the mic as I rolled to a stop, writhing in flaring pain.

No wonder that kick was insane! His legs were holding him up all day.

Her voice boomed over the stereos again in less than a second. "One! … Two! …"

I wasn't going down! I've handled worse. I stood up with a groan and steadied myself. Across the roof from me he stood, breathing heavily, holding his hand to his mouth. He was tired and that punch I got in did some damage.

"And Kuwabara's back up at the count of four. The fight continues!"

One _hard_ punch to the nose and he'd be down, no doubt. But if I went straight for the kill he'd get one over on me again… and it had to be a real hard hit.

I spat, coughed, and steadied myself.

_Real_ hard.

I ran at him head on with my sneakers picking up dust behind me. From behind his hand, I could see the glimpse of a satisfied smirk like I was dumb enough to try that twice.

Kuwabara, Kazuma, wasn't so stupid!

When I was close enough, like I thought, he picked up his leg again, aiming his foot at my ribs. He knew if he got the kick in, I'd be down.

I jumped up, reaching my foot out to land on his. I used it like a stepping stone to push myself forward. The second I cocked my arm back, he figured out my plan. He threw back his arm too, ready to punch me in the stomach.

His leg began lowering when I let my fist loose—and I felt the sharp pain in my knuckles once I hit cartilage.

He never got his hit in.

I flew with the weight of the punch and watched as he tipped back, eyes rolling into the back of his head. With a loud _boom_, he hit the pavement, and I stumbled around him when I landed, clutching my ribs in pain.

Aiko's chant could be heard again as I steadied myself. "_Yes_, Kuwabara! _Yeeeeeeessss_!"

"Don't just cheer," Hirogawa snapped. "Count him out!"

"One! …" I waited anxiously to see if he'd stir, but he just writhed in pain on the ground. "Two! …" He was still conscious, and that meant he could get up if… "Three! … Four! …" He stirred again, tried to get up, but wasn't able to roll on his side. Instead, he clutched his bloody face with a deep groan. "Five! Kuwabara is the winner!"

Aiko and I cheered, and Hirogawa clapped as Aiko ran up to me, digging in one of her high-waisted jean's pockets to pull out a folded envelope.

"I present to you, Kuwabara, Kazuma, the winner of the _Kagami Mansion Battle,_ four tickets to see Megallica this April!" she announced into the mic.

I snatched the white envelope from her so fast I practically ripped her manicured hands out of their wrist sockets. She didn't mind though. We just continued to cheer until Hirogawa walked up to us.

"Congrats, kid!" he said, grinning. "Now I know why she wanted to get you in on this: you've got some skill. Pushed me to start it and everything last winter."

"Aw geez, Aiko, you didn't have to do all this. I did win..." I trailed off, not wanting to talk about the tournament in front of Hirogawa.

"Eh, it's no big deal," she replied with a shrug. "It was actually pretty fun to set up."

"Speaking of fun," Hirogawa said as he dug in his varsity jacket's pocket. He pulled out another ticket and handed it to Aiko. "I'm not going. I picked up a second job and it's usually night-shift."

"You sure, Hirogawa?" she asked as she took the ticket slowly. "Megallica's not really my scene."

"Yeah, you know I can always get another ticket. They're playing out past Mushiyori soon so I'm thinking of taking a trip down there."

"We're all going!" I asserted, gripping the envelope tightly as I pumped it in the air with my fist.

The sharp pain in my ribs sparked again and I recoiled to hold my sides.

"You sure you want me to tag along?" she asked uncertainly. "I can always just sell this. I'm sure Matsuoka would still want a ticket."

I cleared my throat before replying, still putting pressure on my ribs. "Hell yeah, you can come! You practically got me the tickets… you know, like, made them available to me and all. It'd be cool if you came. I can convert anyone into a _true_ Megallica fan. _Trust me!"_

She hesitated and looked down at the tickets before flashing me a wary smile. "Yeah… maybe I will go."

Hirogawa clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he looked around the roof.

"Let's start cleaning up this mess, Hojo." He then headed towards the door where the guard stood. "We have to get out of here as soon as possible."

I was still pumped up and excited, and ended up cutting her off before she could reply. "_We're going to see Megallica_!"

* * *

**Kurama.**

Just seconds after I rang the doorbell, I could hear small footsteps running to answer.

I gently shook my closed umbrella to push off water droplets. The door opened almost instantly, revealing the younger child of the Hojo residence. It seemed the older wasn't awake yet as she never would have let him brandish the slicked-back hairstyle he wore to emulate his idol Urameshi, Yusuke.

"She's not up yet, Shuichi!" he said, opening the door further. "But you can still come in."

"I didn't expect her to be," I said, stepping inside.

I set my umbrella in the stand near the front door. From the living room, I could hear the faint voice of a female newscaster on TV as I began taking off my shoes.

"_Yesterday, just a few weeks after local police enlisted the help of Saburomaru, Hideki, a renowned private eye, they were able to arrest a serial arsonist who went into hiding after terrorizing our town almost a year ago. Saionji, Ryu, a thirty-four year old male, was captured at Misawa Airport late last evening as he tried fleeing the prefecture after setting fire to…"_

I should wait until after finals to tell her about that. She would become so excited she'd ruin her studying.

Mrs. Hojo came into view from the other end of the entryway as I slid off my other shoe. She looked just like her daughter: light brown hair and eyes, and the same curve in the apple of her cheeks. She adjusted the collar of her white blouse as she greeted me with a smile.

She was quick to make conversation with her hands. They moved immediately, signing to me, and Minoru began translating.

"_Would you like some breakfast? There's still some on the stove._"

"No, thank you," I said with a shake of my head. "I've already eaten."

"S_he's still asleep and Noboru left to work already_," Minoru translated as his mother heaved a loud sigh. "_I'm leaving to drop off Minoru and head to work, so I'm hoping you can wake her up in time._"

"Of course. She asked me to come."

His mother laughed loudly before continuing.

"_Then we're off! Don't be afraid to eat. Don't be afraid to pressure her to eat, either! Some breakfast is still on the stove._"

"Bye, Shuichi!" Minoru smiled. "Good luck! Tell Sis I said 'good luck' too!"

"Will do." I nodded, and Mrs. Hojo returned my gesture.

I waved to the boy as they made their way past me and out the front door. Upon the lock clicking, I made my way through the quiet apartment. When I arrived in front of her room, I knocked softly, wondering if she finally woke up and was only lazy.

She wasn't awake, of course.

I knocked again and pushed the door open. Along with it, underwear and t-shirts belonging to both her and her brother slid across the floor with its swing. I looked around the floor. It wasn't too messy… only clothing, a few books, and some figurines. It was her desk that was trashed—with piles of scratch paper and empty liter water bottles.

On my left, upon entering the room, she lay on the bottom bunk, buried under a mountain of blankets.

"Aiko," I called her name, and yet, no real response. She stirred underneath the blankets and rolled over with a groan, turning to the wall. With a small sigh, I coughed into my fist and spoke louder. _"Aiko."_

Her body stiffened, and a messy head of hair perked up from under the blankets and whipped around to see me. With a gasp, she began throwing blankets off her to get out of bed.

When a thin, bare leg poked out from under a blanket, I caught a glimpse of the congealed burn skin that wrapped slightly around her ankle and lower shin. She paused, remembering she probably wasn't fully dressed, and quickly pulled her leg back under.

"Out!" she snapped, to which I repressed a smile and exited the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

Usually, we only met on the way to school. I was here this morning because today was the beginning of final exams. She asked me to wake her since her parents left earlier than usual and she was surely to go against her better judgment, actually get up from bed to turn off her alarm, and then go back to sleep.

After I teased her about how often she ditched that today shouldn't be a special occasion for her to show up, she "swore to god" that her habits coming into Meiou were "good" but it was when she befriended Natsume and her clique she started "rebelling tenfold." Bad habits included excessive partying and ditching class to find a safe place to smoke.

The latter was something she'd always done but she was just trying to pin the blame on Natsume and her friends.

Neither of us considered the group of school girls a threat until we found Natsume to be the daughter of one of Reikai's Barrier Regulations and Enforcement officers.

The group dealt with youkai immigration and matters regarding the barrier that separated Makai from Ningenkai. This wouldn't have been a problem had I not been here illegally, under the guise of a human.

Natsume threatened to expose me, have me handled appropriately by Reikai, and have Aiko punished for knowingly harboring an illegal immigrant. Things were seemingly handled when Yusuke brought it to Koenma's attention. I was an asset to the Prince at the time so he forged a few documents that pushed Natsume's powers at bay.

Things seemed fine until we were forced into the Dark Tournament and I reverted to my youko form. This wouldn't have been a problem had Reikai officials not been present.

"Thank god he's here," she grumbled from inside her room, slamming her closet door shut. "I don't even remember turning off my alarm."

Aiko found out about the tournament through Natsume, who, lucky, wasn't present to see me. She was, however, able to talk to Aiko about the tournament and let her piece everyone's disappearances together.

I didn't see Natsume and her friends as much since the tournament, though Aiko was still around her often.

"You can come in," she sighed and I turned the knob again to enter.

I found her leaning against her desk, arms crossed over her untucked blouse.

"We have forty minutes to get to school," I said, and as I neared her she put her face in her hands. "You also have to eat."

"Okay, _mom_," she sighed through her hands. "I just need to fix my face and we'll go."

"Your routine takes too long. It takes longer to get to campus from here." When she didn't respond, I sighed. "Are you going to move your hands from your face?"

"Not until I can put on concealer."

"I've seen you without it plenty of times."

"Not from a gross three-hour attempt at sleep. You have seen me with a _clean_ face and I am sure there's _actual_ _grime_ in my eyes."

"We don't have time for your routine. You're fine without it today."

"I need to at least do concealer. Move."

I sighed again, hanging my head. You would think if I could boost her confidence then she wouldn't feel the need to be bothered, but it never worked out as such. Today wouldn't be the day I stopped trying.

"What could you possibly need to conceal?"

She scoffed, finally removing her hands from her face to reveal tired eyes. "These fucking _Dooney and Bourke_ bags under my eyes."

"Ah." I stifled a smile as she walked past me, wondering how low she ranked _Dooney and Bourke_ in handbag fashion. "We leave in ten minutes."

"Uh-huh." She ignored me.

Of course she would prioritize her make-up first and then try to get out of eating breakfast. We didn't have time for that.

I first made sure her mother already packed her lunch in her school bag before waiting by the open bathroom door. She should be on her eyeliner right about…

I stepped inside the bathroom as she dragged the liquid above her upper lashes. Walking next to her, up to the sink, she eyed me curiously through the mirror as she began lining her other eye.

"What do you need?" she asked in a relatively sweet tone. "I'm sure my mom left breakfast on the stove so feel free to help yourself."

I shook my head quietly, almost feeling guilty for the plan I had in mind.

I quickly reached for the faucet handle that lie in front of her. She jerked her arm away from me to avoid bumping arms... and dragged the black liquid across her face.

My arm returned to my side without having touched the handle and she glared at me through the mirror, scowl apparent and just as amusing as I imagined it would be. I stifled a laugh as she growled at me.

"Out."

"Oh, come now," I said, smiling down at the black line that trailed across her face. "Maybe it's a sign you shouldn't wear make-up. Just for today."

"_Out_!" she said through gritted teeth, still glaring at me through the mirror.

I continued stifling laughter as I left the bathroom, but she could hear the chuckles catching in my throat.

She was less than amused three minutes later when she stepped into the kitchen and was offered the toast and egg her mother made earlier. I was satisfied that she decided to stick with just the concealer and eyebrow pencil today. The bare look wasn't half bad on her.

"Here," she said, shoving a small booklet in my hand. "They're my chemistry notes. Could you quiz me on the way there?"

"Su—"

"To make up for my face."

I smiled as she scowled. "Sure."

She shoved the food in her mouth and we gathered our belongings. She ushered me out and we set off, heading to the elevator to leave the building.

"Which chapter?" I asked.

She swallowed the last of her food before replying. "What other chapter than my own personal hell?"

I flipped to the thermochemistry section, noting the scribbled title. I was often praised for my quick reading though it was another story when it came to her hand writing. It almost baffled me how someone who had a knack for art, shown by the rough sketches of various people or animals next to her notes, could have such horrid handwriting.

I wouldn't need to entertain the questions for long. I asked enough questions to last the elevator ride, and with a quiet swish of the opening doors, I handed the booklet back to her.

"I think you'll do fine."

She took it from me with a grumble as we made our way out the lobby, and I was the first to open an umbrella. Noting that, she didn't bother opening hers and instead moved closer to me to fit underneath.

"I really need to go over that chapter some more," she pressed as we stepped into the rain.

The droplets padded softly on the umbrella above us yet they were abundant enough to serve as noticeable background noise.

"You've studied for days. Give yourself a break," I reassured her.

She sighed and then mumbled a small "oh" before spilling information.

"About breaks... Get ready to disconnect from Ningenkai because Natsume's dad is in town for the next week, starting tomorrow," she said simply. "After that, you'll be free for a while because he's headed to the States."

Aiko took to hanging around Natsume after school hours for many reasons, but her main duty was to overhear the phone conversations between Natsume and her father. All she had to do was find out when he would be in town and, if possible, if any officials from other jurisdictions were joining him.

"Sendozuka Shopping Center's a big one," she said. "But he's going to be here all week, so I can't guarantee any specific places."

Normal places were the Nakayama and Sendozuka Shopping Centers, or any high-end restaurant or plaza in any nearby city. Nothing was ever specific or guaranteed and it was only a matter of time before I was caught.

Koenma arranged with me a rift in the barrier I could use to flee Ningenkai. Of course, to protect him of this crime, I would have to take accountability and say I opened the portal.

Logically, there should be no way for me to break the barrier. I either had to know someone who could open portals or be able to do so myself. If I were to possess either kind of knowledge I would become an even larger threat. But as Youko Kurama, I was already issued as "kill-on-site" and would be taken out without question if caught.

Reikai was bound to find me sooner or later. It was only a matter of time until someone put the pieces together but I was going to milk my time here for all it was worth.

"Christ, this has to be like, the longest game of hide and seek with Reikai, huh?" she snickered. "Go big or go home."

The words came easily, as it was my first response for some reason. "One day I will have to go home."

She looked up to me, faltering in stride momentarily. She fell out from under the safety of the umbrella, standing in the rain. I stretched my arm out to her, letting the umbrella keep her dry as soft drops fell on my shoulder and head.

"Well since your time is limited…" Her eyes fell to the wet ground… It wasn't as if she didn't know this. Her eyes then picked up and lay on me with ease. "Quiz me on this thermochemistry."

She shoved the booklet in my hand before returning to my side. With forbearance and some time spent decoding her handwriting again, I asked her another series of questions.

Our walk felt quick and we soon set foot on Meiou's property. Peers passed us by with their quick strides and we greeted others as we situated ourselves at the shoe locker. Aiko shoved the booklet in her bag and took the liberty of housing my damp umbrella with hers in her shoe locker.

"I just want this to be over!" she groaned suddenly after waving to another student.

I tapped my shoe on the ground, fitting it snug against my foot. She had already slipped on her pair and was now leaning against the lockers.

"When finals are over, Yu and I are going to play pachinko! I need this break to come so much faster. I'm going to fail anyway…" *******

"Have you gone over Machiavelli?" I asked. "Our English Language and Literature final is first."

She nodded. "I skimmed through it again last night. I even took apart some sentences to help on the English Language portion."

"You're stressing over nothing, then," I assured her simply. "You should do well on your examination. Your pachinko games will be well deserved."

"I have a feeling it won't," she sighed as we began walking to class. "This is my last chance to make into the class' top _thirty_… because we all know I won't even make it to the top twenty."

I learned it was best to let her deal with certain things on her own, certain things she wouldn't budge on—such as this. The most I could offer was silent support and presence, and after all was said and done, comfort if asked for.

She dispersed the air quickly with a more upbeat tone as another group of students passed by us, and she waved to the group of upperclassmen.

"Just think, after finals we'll be second years!" She stretched her arms behind her head, letting her bag dangle from her fingers as she watched the group pass us by. "Maybe then we'll have a different homeroom teacher."

It was then I could conveniently sense the familiar presence and pick up the familiar smell of Mr. Suzuki. He was close behind us.

"You probably shouldn't talk about—"

She cut me off, still talking at the speed of light. "Can't _wait_ to get out of that class—I know he's got it out for me. I know it. That fat fuck is still mad I called him a fat fuck."

I sighed heavily, feeling him walk up behind us, and let her continue.

She cocked her head back, sending her plea to the heavens. "Please, next year, let me get a homeroom teacher other than that fat fuck!"

"You should be careful." Mr. Suzuki's voice loomed over her and she froze in stride and squeaked. "That fat fuck still needs to score your final exam."

"_Oh my gooooood!_" she shrieked in disbelief and laughed before running down the hall to our class.

"Honestly, Minamino," Mr. Suzuki huffed as Aiko ran into our classroom. "You're the top of your class; you don't need to hang out with that trash to get entertainment."

I shrugged and feigned a polite smile, unwilling to argue with a teacher who truly didn't like her. There was no use in defending her against this man.

"She doesn't participate in any clubs because she was given clearance to work," he continued. "And every time exams come around she barely scrapes—_Minamino_."

I continued down the hallway, ignoring him. I stepped foot in our homeroom to find her at her desk, face pushed in her school bag to muffle the crying laughter.

"Why didn't you _say anything_?" she snapped through laughter as I passed by her desk. "Every day you let me do something embarrassing!"

"I thought it would be funny," I replied with a smile as I headed to my desk. "And it was."

Fifth day in the past two weeks I let her mouth get her into trouble for my entertainment. Despite it being months since the tournament ended, returning to my human routine was equivalent to temperature shock. Though I wanted to be here, it was surreal to continue this routine when my old life continued to rear its head in this one.

Her humanity, mistakes... they were comforting since I had a feeling my time here would end sooner than later.

"Ass!"

* * *

**A/N:**

***** ¥10,000 is approximately $100 or £73. ¥100,000 is approximately $982 or £720.

**** **195 cm is about 6'5".

******* _Pachinko_ resembles a pinball machine and is often used as a gambling device. Minimum age to play and cash in the balls you win for your prize is 18.


	2. Collapsing At Your Doorstep

**Kurama.**

In the bright afternoon sunlight, we sat across from each other at my desk in the back of class. Her chopsticks remained untouched in front of her open lunch, and for the past five minutes I watched her glare at me, as if I was hypocritical for not having food today.

I ignored the glares easily and kept my attention on the small, translated novel of _Paradise Lost_ I had in front of me. It wasn't until she slid a small yellow notebook across the desk that I bothered to look up from the text.

"Here," she said.

Without looking at it, I remembered the set of notes I took for her. She watched me with a confused look as I pulled out a small, black notebook and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked, taking it with her free hand as with the other she picked out a triangular rice ball decorated with nori to look like a cat. Swallowing her food, she mumbled. "Calculus?" *****

"Japanese Sign Language?" I read the title of the yellow book.

"Well, I figured you may want to actually like, hold a simple conversation with my mom and not need a fellow Hojo to translate," she said, flipping through the first few pages. "You guys are ahead of us?"

I took another glance at the book before slipping it in my bag for another time. "Yes, I figured you'd want the notes to help."

She nodded as a sort of sadness glazed over her eyes. "Yeah, I would… Thanks."

I didn't reply and we sat in silence. She ate slowly as I read, and she didn't utter another word until a couple of classmates began making their way towards us.

"Watanabe, Miyu, and Saito, Mayaka, at nine o' clock," she muttered.

I glanced to my right, finding the tall dyed-blonde and her shorter, raven haired friend next to my desk.

"You made first in the class again, Minamino!" Watanabe smiled.

"Congratulations!" Saito said, glancing to Aiko. "Oh, sorry, are we interrupting something?"

"No," she replied easily, eyes glancing out the window to avoid watching the gushes of praise.

"Oh?" I said, feigning confusion to drop the subject out of courtesy. "I guess I got lucky."

"You are so apathetic, Minamino!" Saito pouted. "You should be more thrilled. You were four points away from a perfect score!"

I glanced up to the shorter girl and her friend, smiling, before returning to my novel. "I am thrilled."

I quickly looked back to the blonde, noticing something that ought not to be on her shoulder.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing behind them.

Aiko glanced with the two to the doors as I quickly, quietly, grabbed the grey insect off Watanabe's shoulder. I clutched the insect in my hand, crushing it in my grip, as the girls looked back to me.

"What?" Saito asked.

"I don't see anything," Watanabe said. "What are you talking about?"

Aiko stared at me before resting her chin in her hand and looking out the window.

"Must have been imagining things," I replied with an apologetic smile.

"Oh?" Watanabe shrugged. "Well, then, Minamino, after you two finish eating…"

"Sorry," I said, returning to my novel. "I'd really like to finish this book."

Watanabe glanced to Aiko, who didn't bother looking up.

"Okay!" Saito smiled and then looked between Aiko and I. "Hey, since it's Friday night, a couple of us are going out to that new karaoke lounge that opened! Would you two like to come?"

"Oh, no thanks," I replied.

"It'll be me, Isayashi from class two-A, and Isobe," Saito said.

"I would come but I'm busy." Watanabe shrugged.

"We sing American hits! Most of us want to go overseas and this is a fun way to practice. Are you sure you wouldn't want to come? Aiko?"

"Uh…" she stuttered, surprised that classmates would still want to hang out with her after her status with Natsume. The social elite, many of them now graduated, were more partial to her, not the average student. "Maybe… I'm trying to start a lab early tonight. If I finish, then maybe I'll go."

"That's great!" Saito smiled and turned with Watanabe, waving goodbye. "I hope you can convince Minamino to come too! Just let me know later!"

"Yeah…" Aiko waved slowly at them as they walked out of the class before glancing to me.

"I'd prefer not to go," I said simply.

"That's not why I'm looking at you."

"Then?"

"The thing on her shoulder..." she paused, voice quieting. "Was it really a…"

"A bug." I glanced up to her, meeting her stare, remembering the last time we encountered a Makai insect.

"We can barely make it a few months without something happening…" she mumbled, taking another small bite out of her rice ball before using her free hand to give me some of her napkins.

"A bug is normal," I replied quietly, wiping the gunk off my hand. "They slip through all the time."

"Remember when it was _normal_ last time?" she scoffed.

I sighed. She was right.

"If something was happening," I reassured her. "We would be notified."

With a quick shrug, she glanced back out the window, staring down at the closed front gate in the distance.

"I guess… At least Natsume's not here to see it."

I nodded in silence, and time passed as the clock neared the end of our lunch. Seconds before the bell chimed, she looked up to me.

"You sure you don't want to go out tonight?" she asked. "I think it could be fun. "

"Really, I'll have to pass."

For some reason, I still couldn't bring myself to branch out farther in this life. Perhaps if previous circumstances had worked out differently... And then again, perhaps not.

"Then will you start that chemistry lab with me? The unknown cation one? I could really use your help since it's a two parter."

I agreed, despite knowing I shouldn't have. I knew what I was getting into, staying late on campus during the first week. The sunset bathed the lab room a deep orange. I watched as the liquid in the test tube front of me turned a vibrant purple as I tried tuning out the club member's pleas that came from behind me.

I was debating on waiting for him to tire himself out, talk himself to death, but Aiko's patience was wearing thin and she would get to him before that happened.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Aiko grumbled from the other side of the lab bench, watching the various club members surround me. "Hello, Sorata? Get the fuck away from him! I need his help to finish this lab!"

"Please, Minamino, I'm begging you!"

"_School hours are now over_," the announcer spoke softly over the intercom. "_Students remaining on school ground, please return home promptly_."

"What's it like to have the most popular guy in school as a boyfriend?" Isayashi, a boy in room 2A who was here to use our lab results to write his lab report, snickered to Aiko.

"Shut up!" she screamed, face blushing a deep red underneath her foundation.

I cringed at her volume as Isayashi practically jumped out of his seat.

She leaned over the glass beakers to rip the heads off the club members. "We have one more practice cation to do and _then_ you can ream him over this bench to your heart's delight. Until this is over, _leave him alone_!"

"Thank you for your support, Aiko," I sighed and then turned to face the small group.

"Be the club president! I'm asking you sincerely!" Sorata pressed his hands together in a sincere prayer and bowed his head.

"I'm only a second year," I replied. "Besides, I honestly don't feel obligated."

"Hear that, Sorata?" she snapped. "Beat it so I can finish this fucking lab!"

Any other time I was sure she would be helpful, but seeing as how exams scores were posted earlier and she didn't even make it into the top fifty, she wasn't looking out for my best interest in this room. Even telling her about the arsonist's capture at Misawa Airport didn't matter to her.

All that mattered now was pulling up her grade.

"No!" Sorata lifted his head, pleading. "That's not true! You're the only one who can save our weak biology club!"

The two club members behind him nodded, and then he continued.

"You, who are at the top of your class and are so popular with the girl students, are the only one who can win us a student council budget increase!"

"I was going to say something _really_ mean," Aiko laughed dryly. "But I'm not even going to lie, like if Shuichi joined your club, you all would probably, _actually,_ be on some girls' radars."

"You are _not_ helping, Aiko," I said, glancing over my shoulder.

"Please!" he begged, wide eyes closing behind his thick glasses as he began cornering me against the bench.

His friends then chorused in and clasped their hands together to plea.

"Bunch of fucking creeps," Aiko growled, rounding the bench.

"I'm flattered to have you say so," I said to Sorata, forcing a polite smile as I inched away from them. "But I'm sorry, I have to decline."

Aiko latched onto two of the boys' collars to keep them in place as I headed for the door. Sorata was free of her grip, though, and he stumbled over a stool, pushing it aside as ran past me to block the door.

"Look at how you're acting, Sorata!" she snapped over the echoes of the rattling stool against the tiled floor. "Leave us alone!"

"Please!" Sorata begged. "Wait!"

"Yeah, come on, guys," Isayashi sighed from his seat. "I need their results. I messed mine up last class." When nobody replied, he got up from his seat and began heading for the other door in the lab. "I bet there's still a teacher on campus… You guys are annoying."

"I'm not moving from this spot until you say 'yes'!" Sorata snapped.

I rubbed the back of my head, knowing that if I headed for the other door he'd break his leg trying to get there before I did.

"I don't know what to do," I sighed, wondering if there was a way to slip powder up his nose without his friends watching.

I could have Aiko distract them… No, even then it would be obvious I did something if he were to drop unconscious. It was then, in my moment of thinking, I could hear a familiar voice I hadn't heard in a while.

"_Kurama_!"

A voice I shouldn't hear on campus.

"Oh my god…" Aiko choked, letting go of the club members' collars as her face paled. They instantly ran from her.

"That voice…" I looked around the room, letting my gaze settling on the windows to see if he was at the front gate.

No, his voice was too close.

"_Where are you?! Come out_!"

"Minamino!" Sorata's begging pulled me out of my train of thought. I backed away from the boy as he stepped closer to me. "Please! Say 'yes', okay?"

"I don't exactly have time for this right now."

"Just say yes, okay?" he continued.

"_Kurama_!"

"Please say—"

Sorata was cut short. Kuwabara shot through the closed door foot first, screaming my name as he rode the broken door in the air before letting it crash down on Sorata from behind.

"There you are!" Kuwabara sighed in relief once his frantic gaze set on me.

"Are you daft, motherfu—"

"Kuwabara," I whispered, cutting off Aiko as she marched to us. "That is not my name here."

"Sorry!" he said with the shake of his head. "It's an emergency."

"Kurama?" one club member asked.

"Who's that? You, Minamino?" the other concluded.

"Ah! Pay no attention," I replied hastily. "It's a nickname. Right? Kuwabara-_kun_?"

Aiko leaned out the room to see if any of our peers were curious of the commotion as Botan ran inside.

"My name is Shuichi here," I whispered. "Minamino, Shuichi."

He nodded, committing it to memory. "Shit. Sorry, man..."

"Well?!" Aiko snapped at the two club members. "What are you waiting for? Sorata's injured, go get help!"

The two jumped out of their skin at her tone and quickly scrambled out of the classroom, yet she was far from satisfied as she eyed the three of us.

"What's happened?" I asked, remembering the bug from earlier.

"Yusuke's been kidnapped!" Botan replied.

"Here!" Kuwabara handed me a note, prompting Aiko to head towards me.

I scanned it quickly and folded it as she approached me.

"Let me see," she said, reaching for the note.

I held it above my head, out of her reach. Her arm returned to her side as she scowled.

"There's only five hours left until eleven. Do you know where Hiei is?" Kuwabara asked as I smelled the unfamiliarity of the letter. "It says we all have to be there. You, me, and Hiei _have_ to be there."

It was human. A human kidnapped Yusuke... Natsume? No. Not her scent. No reason for her to kidnap Yusuke.

"No, I don't know where he is," I replied. "But his contract should still limit him to the tri-city area."

"Let. Me. See," she hissed.

"I guess we should start looking for him." I ignored her and turned to Botan.

"If only he was here, he could use his Jagan to find himself!" Botan groaned.

I found myself laughing hopelessly, shallowly, and Aiko remained quiet—ignorant of the joke and determined to read the letter.

"This sucks! We have no way to find him!" Kuwabara groaned.

"Oh!" Botan clapped excitedly. "The seven detective items! The aura detector was upgraded so we won't have a problem tracking any youkai."

"But how will we know it's Hiei's aura?" I asked.

She grimaced and then perked up again. "No problem! We just need something like a nail or lock of hair and the watch will trace him!"

"Yes, I'll just pull out the lock of Hiei's hair I carry around for good luck," I replied, to which Botan grimaced.

"I don't see _you_ coming up with any ideas," Aiko remarked to me as Botan became frantic.

"We could use some Reikai binoculars to look for—"

"That could take centuries!" Kuwabara snapped.

Botan groaned and held her cheek.

"Do we have _anything_ else?" Kuwabara tried.

"Well… to tell the truth…"

"We don't necessarily need to find Hiei, but call him to us," I tried.

Botan perked up, eyes shining bright. "Itako's whistle!"

"Good," I nodded, figuring it was our last chance anyway. "I'll meet up with you all soon."

Aiko turned around and headed for the door.

"Aiko?" I called.

"I'm going to cancel everything with Isayashi and tell him we're not going tonight."

_We._

"Stay here for a minute, Aiko," I spoke slowly and then turned to Kuwabara with a whisper. "I'll meet you both at the nearby park in about an hour. I need to adjust my human life."

Kuwabara nodded before budging on the broken door that he had yet to move from, and a crippled cry surfaced from underneath. Remembering Sorata, Botan and Kuwabara jumped off the door and quickly sneaked out the classroom.

Aiko lifted the door with all her might and set it against the wall as I briefly tended to Sorata. He was out, and would be for a few more minutes.

"Should we be worried?" she asked dryly, standing over him. "About him, I mean."

I shook my head, reaching behind my head, digging carefully in my hair to pull out a small, dime-sized pouch.

"What's that?" she asked as I broke the plastic pouch open and poured the soft powder over his nose.

With his unconscious inhale, I leaned in and whispered away the last of his memories, replacing the conversation he may have heard with absolute nothing. He passed out after the door crashed.

"This powder is one of the very few things I carry with me throughout the day. For situations like this."

She shifted her weight on her other leg as I stood up.

She spoke before I could open my mouth. "You're not stopping me from going on this."

"No, I'm afraid I am. You're not going."

"I'm not a dog," she laughed bitterly before eyeing Sorata. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Alright," I replied. "What use will you be?"

She recoiled, face apparent with shock. "The same use Botan's going to be!"

She _almost_ had a point.

"Botan has more reiki than you and will be able to use the items to find Hiei."

_Almost_.

"And then?" She crossed her arms over her chest, ruffling the lab coat.

"If something happens, she can relay it to Koenma fastest."

"...And then?"

I sighed. "Aiko, I understand you want Yusuke to be okay, but we don't know who we're dealing with. They are humans who've captured the most recent Dark Tournament champion."

"Even more of a reason to be worried!" she pressed. "What if it's Natsume? That walking mass of evil is my enemy too. I have a right to be there."

I paused, thinking over the possibility again. The letter didn't smell like her but I knew she would be crafty. But this scheme didn't feel like something she was a part of.

"I don't think she'd go out of her way to bring Yusuke into this."

"It could be to lure you," she said. "We're all, technically, harboring you. All of us are legal except you."

"If it was Natsume, wouldn't she want you to come too? Your name wasn't included in the letter."

She let her eyes drop to the ground and thought… She nodded, and though I could tell she was relieved, that didn't stop her.

"Okay but you guys can't do this to me again! You can't leave me in the dark when something goes terribly, terribly wrong! It makes everything worse, especially now that a fucking bug's come through!"

"It may not even be related." The bug could be an important factor, but I couldn't risk entertaining her. "I can't risk putting you in danger—this is the same reason we didn't tell you about the tournament."

"I'm allowed to _put myself_ in danger if I chose!"

"I don't want that on my hands and neither would Yusuke."

"He's my friend—friends put themselves on the line for each other! Friends do what they can for each other."

I sighed, trying to find out how I could work this angle. "He's our friend—let me take the dangerous route and—"

She stomped her foot.

"He was my friend—" She stopped herself instantly from finishing that sentence with the word "first" as it would only further her childish antics. She shook her head, eyes squeezed shut. "You can't do this. Don't fucking turn this into another cross-country journey for me."

"There are too many unknowns, you'd be a liability. Humans who could kidnap Yusuke, an abandoned mansion—"

"What mansion?!" she gasped. "Is the name odd? Like something from a theme park?"

I paused, shocked at her sudden outburst.

"Yes... Tell me what you know about it," I said hesitantly, hoping this wouldn't entertain her belief that she could come along.

"My coworker has house plans to all those strange mansions across Western Japan. They all have weird names."

My brow rose in interest. "Which one do you have?"

"Kagami Mansion!"

I sighed. "Not the one."

"Well, which is it?" she pressed. "He has others!"

I would rather her not be there and risk wandering a mansion alone than have her there and be a liability.

"Aiko, I can't let you go."

"Please…" she paused, and then pulled out her threat. "I'll follow you."

"I'll make sure you won't."

"How?" She squinted in disbelief.

"I wouldn't be happy with doing it, but—"

Her eyes then widened. "You wouldn't..."

"If it kept you out of this, yes."

With pursed lips, she searched my face for what seemed to be minutes, and she sighed as Isayashi's voice could be heard.

"What the hell happened?! Sorata? Are you okay? Hey!"

"Promise me you'll call…" she muttered. I stared down at her, but before I could reply, she spoke again. "If you don't call tomorrow morning I'm assuming the worst and I'm getting _everyone_ involved."

"Everyone?"

"Keiko, Shizuru, Yu's mom... and Shiori."

"You wouldn't tell Shiori," I asserted with a whisper.

"I'd tell her last… after I found out what really happened. She'd deserve to know."

She wouldn't tell Shiori. She never would unless I asked.

"_Hellllooooo_?!" Isayashi called to us as he stepped closer. "What the hell happened?!"

I nodded. "Fine."

"Go…" she grumbled, leaving her eyes on the ground. "I'll handle everything here."

* * *

**Aiko.**

I convinced Isayashi that it was a couple of gang members at the wrong school. They "left immediately" when I threatened to scream for any staff left on campus. He bought it. It wasn't hard to convince the janitors about the door since the other club members weren't around.

Sorata survived with a headache and sore back. In order to make sure the memory erasure worked, I invited him to karaoke with Saito's group. Upset at his unrelenting, unwarranted persistence when bothering Kurama, I held a tight grip around his neck and an even tighter smile as I convinced him I wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He ended up saying "yes" quite enthusiastically.

So far, he hadn't said a thing about what he remembered after being crushed.

Clock now nearing one in the morning, I almost regretted snatching sparkling sake from my work as they sang American hits to help us pass English class and "improve our phonetics." I needed something heavier to deal with tonight. To deal with this entire week.

"I don't know why you hung out with Natsume and her friends last year!" Isayashi laughed at my latest comment. "You're pretty cool."

I shrugged and forced a smile, sipping slowly on the fruity-sweet, bubbly sake.

I spent my first year with Natsume's crew and now that they attended Tohoku University, I was left with the rest of Meiou's population as potential friends. It was only the first week of school but socially, it was nice. I was branching out and spending time with the people I… used to gossip about…

Yet they didn't seem to mind. I was sure they never heard their names in my mouth but I was also sure they knew their names were probably once there. And they were still… nice.

Maybe I was building them up more than they truly were because after spending time with Natsume and enduring constant low blows, it was nice to spend time with people who weren't out to find a way to put me down.

Isobe continued her solo of Betaville's "Forever Young," and we were all waiting for it to end as everyone drank recklessly. Exactly why I picked up "sparkling."

"Isobe," I heckled, cupping my hands around my mouth. "This makes me want to stick a needle in my arm and overdose in a bathroom! Pick a different song. Re-do! Re-do!"

Isayashi me laughed and chanted along as Isobe flipped me off with a satisfied smirk, hitting the singer's notes perfectly.

"I thought Minamino may actually show up." Saito leaned towards me to speak over Isobe. "He never spends time with anyone off campus, so I thought you'd be the one to drag him here."

"Oh, yeah, he—uh," I paused, straightening out a half-truth and resurfacing an unwanted, sharp pang of worry in the back of my mind. "A friend of his got in an accident."

"That's horrible!" Saito gasped.

"He should live!" I reassured her—or really, myself. "Don't worry. They'll both be fine."

"Maybe you can convince him to come with us another day then." She smiled to me, taking a short strand of hair and tucking it behind her ear. "I mean, you guys are like... _friends,_ you know?"

"Well, I never was able to convince him—"

"But you two come to school together and leave together often. You two actually... _hang out_," she said. "I'm sure you can convince him."

"No, you don't understand. Even if I did, he would have found a way out—"

"Okay, enough sugar-coating, I guess." She rolled her eyes and leaned in closer, whispering to me. "Are you two exclusive?"

"Oh," I replied with haste and let out a cackle. "Oh, god. Uh... I don't... know? No?"

Neither of us really expanded on what happened at the bus stop. I didn't think either of us wanted to. Our routine was better than any conversation we could have had about it. I didn't want to push my luck either. Besides, dare I say we were content? I was… very happy to say the least.

He seemed to be, too. I figured if he actually wanted anything more, he'd say something.

She paused and a small frown graced her lips before she pouted. "How can you not know?"

"I'm not good at karaoke, you guys," Sorata chuckled weakly, adjusting his glasses.

"None of us are, Sorata!" Isayashi said, pushing him on the stage.

"But that's what makes it fun!" Saito said, becoming side-tracked and skipping up to the small stage with him. "Here, I'll sing with you!"

"You too, Aiko!" Isayashi called, and then Saito called to me from the stage.

"Come on! A trio!"

I forced a laugh, upset I was finally being pulled up there. I managed to skip out on singing until now. "Oh, no thanks. I'm not drunk enough yet—"

"Let her pick the song!" Saito laughed and made her way back towards me.

"No, really, I'd rather not—"

I wasn't even socially _loose_, and I'd never make it to _lubricated_ on _sparkling sake_.

"Then take a shot and get up there, come on!" Isayashi encouraged.

They began chanting "shots" repeatedly... like it was something that could sway me. I gave in, letting Saito pour me a tall glass, and downed the drink quickly.

Slamming the glass on the table in front of me, I stood from the group couch and made my way to the stage. I wasn't going to make any friends if I couldn't look like a dumbass around them. I wasn't going to get my mind off Kurama and Yu if I couldn't distract myself.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" I laughed as Sorata handed me a microphone.

"Probably," Saito laughed, skimming through songs.

"Hey, hey." I pointed to the screen as she scrolled by artist names. "Look. Komu Komu Club's latest album."

"Nope." Saito smiled teasingly and scrolled past it.

"They even have Chan on here!" I gasped as she continued scrolling.

"Nope."

"The Meatles' entire collection too."

"You want to do the Meatles?" Sorata asked.

"No, my dad would fucking skin me if he found out I went out to karaoke and sang Meatles songs the entire time."

He instantly began skimming again.

"Does your dad hate them because of their _bigger than Jesus_ comment, too?" Saito asked. "A lot of people stopped liking them after that."

"Oh, no," I laughed, waving off the comment. "He believes they're bigger than Jesus. Rumor has it, before I was born my room used to be a Meatles shrine dedicated to the lead singer."

Their laughter made me feel better, like I was beginning to belong among them... as if they actually liked me.

"E-he or Rick Ostley!" Sorata read the two he wanted to pick from. "Oh, look. When In Venice."

"Any of those are fine," I said with a shrug, and Saito nodded.

Saito pressed the button on the remote, letting the beginning of E-he's song blare through the speakers. On the large screen on the wall, Take On Me's music video began playing, lyrics ready to appear at the bottom.

I was _so_ not drunk enough for this foolishness… especially not around new people who I was trying to impress.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the mic up to my mouth—and was thoroughly relieved to watch the door burst open and someone trip inside. The drum opening of E-He's one hit wonder played as we all stared at the half-unconscious, young adult male that lay sprawled across the floor, sake bottle rolling away from him.

"Should we… should we call someone?" Saito asked, inching towards him.

"Hide the alcohol first," I replied. "Put it under your jacket, Sorata."

He hopped off the stage and ran to put on his flannel jacket and tuck the bottle underneath. I waited patiently as the kids scrambled about to clean up their cups and down the last of their beverage before shoving pieces of gum in their mouths.

I stepped off the stage and made my way to the young man, eyeing him to see if he was alright. He was breathing so...

"We're good!" Isobe called to me as someone stepped in through the open doorway.

"Damn," a familiar voice grumbled.

My eyes shot up from the lying figure to my coworker, Hirogawa.

He shook a bottle of orange juice to unsettle it. "Sorry about that, you guys. I bet he thought this was our room."

"Hirogawa?" I gaped, and my mind instantly clicked. _"Hirogawa!"_

His eyes landed on me as I strode to him. "Hey, Hojo—" I latched onto his arm as I walked past him, dragging him with me outside the room. "What do you want?"

"I need to see the house plans," I said, turning to him as we stopped in the hallway.

Hours had passed since Kurama left with Kuwabara and Botan, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to follow in their footsteps. The last lead I had on them was the mansion. If I wanted to find anything out, I had to head there first.

He ruffled his hair as he thought and then began twisting off the cap of his juice. "Uh—for which one?"

"For… I… don't know…" I paused, disheartened. "Are there any other mansions in the tri-city area?"

"One other, I think."

"Do you have that one?"

"Probably."

"Well, let's find out."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm busy."

I stared at him, wondering why he couldn't just drop everything to get me the plans. I dropped plenty of weekends to scout out that maze. "…With what?"

He wagged the bottle in front of my face gently. "Pre-gaming."

"You can take ten minutes out of your life to pull out the house plans and give them to me."

"We're already late to the party and now I have to haul his dead ass out to the car. I'm busy."

"We're sixteen and doing better than him. Your pre-game is shit."

He didn't need to know the alcohol content was like six percent…

He took a swig from his orange juice. "I came out tonight to have a fun time and I am honestly feeling so attacked right now."

"Just get me the plans and I'll leave you alone!"

"God. Fine," he said with an eye roll. "They're in my trunk still. I never did get around to taking them out."

"Good, you drove here?"

He wagged the orange juice in front of my face again before walking down the hall to the entrance. "I'm the sober one tonight as you can tell."

I stared at him, repressing rage. All that hassle when he just had to walk out to the car…

I followed him, walking past the clerk in the main lobby. We showed our stamps before pushing past the glass doors to enter the chilly April night air.

"I parked over here," he said, digging his keys out of his varsity jacket's pocket and pressing the unlock button.

A Honda Accord's lights flashed briefly and I made a beeline to the vehicle. He pressed another button and the trunk popped open slightly. I heaved the trunk above my head and began digging through his belongings, pushing aside an emergency vehicle kit, boxes of beer, old clothes, and finally, a cardboard box.

I ripped the flaps of the cardboard open to find bundles of blue and yellow papers.

"Which one is it?" I asked.

"I don't know which one you're looking for," he replied, leaning against his car's tail light as I dug.

"Tri-city area," I said, reaching in for one. "Not Kagami Mansion."

"Move," he said, and I quickly stepped out of his way to avoid him patting me on the back or something. "Let's see… tri-city area, huh…"

I waited as he pulled out each print one by one until he took a more intense look at a yellow paper.

He tapped the paper with the back of his fingers. "The House of Four Dimensions."

"This is the one?"

He handed me the papers. "Only other one in tri-city area other than Kagami Mansion."

Kuwabara said they all had to be there, including shrimp-dick, who was on probation to the tri-city area. The mansion had a name like something from a theme park. What better abandoned mansion to use when capturing your enemy than one by an eccentric architect? They _had _to be there.

I inhaled sharply and took it from his hands, wondering how I was going to be able to read this new house's plans. It took me a while to get the hang of Kagami's…

"Thanks," I said as I began folding the large papers to fit in my purse. "I'll give it back to you at work or something."

"What do you need it for?" he asked as I began walking back inside.

"Some people are there and they're in trouble. I need to get over there."

"It's one in the morning. The trains and bus lines are done for the night."

I shrugged as he came up next to me. "I'll walk, I guess."

"You'd get there by dawn from here," he said. "It's in the next city over."

He paused, waiting for me to walk, but when I didn't budge he walked inside before me. I shrugged again and began heading back to my room to bid everyone goodnight.

"Okay… how about I take you?" he offered, glancing over his shoulder.

"You don't need to. Besides, you're _busy_," I replied, stepping foot into the hallway. "I usually walk everywhere anyway."

"Okay, but at night? To another town?"

"Not usually on my agenda but whatever. I've dealt with worse."

"I'll take you," he offered again. "He went to pay for the drinks before bursting in your room anyway. We're headed out."

"To the next city over?" I glanced up to him.

"Well, no. But I'm driving anyway," he said.

Hirogawa, Akito, was _definitely_ a creep. I normally would not take an offer to be in closed vicinity alone with him under any circumstances, but he had a drunk friend to take care of and I had idiots to save.

I sighed. "Do you want gas money?"

"No, I'm going to take some out of his wallet," he replied with a shrug, nodding to his collapsed friend as we rounded the corner into my private karaoke room.

"I thought you guys went to go get someone!" Sorata said when he noticed my return.

"No, we're taking him out ourselves." Hirogawa bent over and reached for his chubby friend, who groaned as he was lifted up on two unstable feet.

"I'm out of here, guys!" I said, making my way to where I was seated.

"Aw, you didn't get to sing, though!" Saito pouted.

"Next time!" I promised, pulling the strap of my cross-body purse over my head. "I'll even _make sure_ Shuichi comes."

"Next time, Hojo!" Isayashi threw the peace sign up as I waved to them all, as Hirogawa pulled his drunk friend over his shoulder.

"I'm going to have you and Isobe learn how to do Pat Beenastar's dance in 'Love is a Battlefield'!" Saito said with a large smile before shimmying her torso. "Next time, you promise!?"

"For sure, you guys. Bye!" I said, to which they all responded cheerfully, easing the embarrassment in the back of my mind.

Minutes later, after collecting his belongings from their private room, Hirogawa shoved his friend in the backseat of his car. As he fell over and took up the entire back seat, I made myself comfortable in the passenger's.

I didn't buckle my seat belt. The possibility of Hirogawa being a complete sleaze was still heavy in the back of my mind and I was willing to throw myself out of the car in a worst case scenario.

"So why are you so hellbent on going there?" he asked as he started his car.

"Idiots are there," I replied.

"Boyfriend?"

"Uh…"

"Boy you like."

I sighed, cheeks tingling from embarrassment. He never met Kurama so I wasn't too worried. "Yeah, and then a few other idiots."

"You're surrounded by trouble, you know that?" he noted simply, to which I scoffed.

"And you're not?"

"Takes one to know one."

"Take me back to the third grade," I called out the cracked window. "I can hear role call now."

"Speaking of being in third grade—don't your parents care where you are?"

"My mom thinks I'm out at karaoke right now." He hummed in response.

"When's your next shift?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh… I think Sunday. Why?"

"If you don't show up, I'll know what to tell the police."

"Yeah, hey, pigs. So like, I took this drunk girl to an abandoned mansion in another city at one in the morning and left her there alone."

_Sparkling _sake couldn't get me drunk after my time with Natsume, but that's what they'd automatically assume so everything could suddenly be my fault. Find enough blame to pin on the victim so they don't have to put much work into the case.

He rolled his eyes, flicking on his turn signal. "Don't underestimate me lying to the police."

I shrugged. "Whatever makes you feel better."

Our drive continued with simpler small talk on quiet roads—how many siblings do you have? What other places have you worked at? Did you see the new movie that came out? Have you heard Kazumasa Eda's new single? What about Chago and Iska's or Komu Komu Club's? My dog ate its own shit today. ...That's pretty cool.

Soon, we pulled up to the corner of the street, and I opened the door quickly, eager to find the boys and see if they were alright.

"Wait! Here," he called after me as I stepped out.

I leaned on the car door as I looked inside again, glancing at the clock to find it was two in the morning. He scribbled something on a piece of notepad paper and quickly handed it to me.

"I'm going to feel like shit if something happens to you, like I brought you here and all. Just call when everything's all right."

I took it and found it was a number.

"Alright." I nodded and shoved the paper in my pocket. "I'll call later. Don't worry."

"If I don't pick up it's because I'm like him," he said, nodding behind him to his friend. "Just leave a message."

"Thanks," I said with a smile before closing the door.

He made a U-turn and drove off, and I quickly walked around the street looking for the mansion. I thought it would be hard to find, with how Kagami looked normal from the outside, but I quickly came upon a tall, wide, run-down building.

This mansion was the difference, an example of how eclectic the buildings were. Kagami mansion, despite being run down with chipping paint, a dead yard, and broken windows, looked normal on the outside. It wasn't until one stepped inside that it was noticeably strange.

This house had just one word to describe it: grotesque.

Its windows and doors were planted in various positions, with only the main entrance safely secured as any other home would have it. The architecture was off, protruding in various areas and slanting dangerously in others, but it stood firm and strong. Some parts of the roof were even turned upside down, or laid at a ninety-degree angle of what it should have been.

This truly was one of the more extravagant mansions in the blue prints.

The home's lawn was over grown with weeds as it hadn't been taken care of in months—maybe even years. I stepped up to the porch and was careful as I heard the wood beneath me creak weakly. Making my way to the cracked open door, I paused to read the writing on the paper taped to the wood.

"Whoever enters this house must never say the word…" I trailed off and looked down at my feet. Was I considered inside when I was on the porch? I was under the roof... I whispered under my breath, barely speaking it. "Hot."

A gust of wind blew past me as I waited for something to happen, yet nothing did. I looked around the empty yard, slightly unnerved. The air was still chilly enough for me to get goose bumps while wearing a cardigan… the fear was creeping up on me and I wasn't even inside.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stepped inside the mansion that may as well have harbored a heavy cloud. The heat in the foyer was bearable, but the air was sticky. I looked around the dramatized room, noting the red lighting and abundance of bookcases.

But what held my attention was the myriad of healthy plants.

This was _definitely_ Kurama's work… I was at the right place. Maybe they were fine.

I crossed the room gingerly, walking around plants in hopes of not stumbling upon anything carnivorous.

I didn't really know all of what Kurama was capable of, but I figured if he could create and spread these plants that some of them would have a mind of their own if induced with ki. The thought of that reality seemed surreal as I remembered he wasn't human.

It was strange. He looked human, albeit exotic in our nation, that I often forgot he wasn't until reminded, and even now it slipped past me again... It slipped past me even when I used to sit on Natsume's bed and eavesdrop on her conversations with her father.

I knew he wasn't human, yet I never thought about it.

I watched across the dimly lit room as a plant moved on its own... there was no air flow in here. Goosebumps pricked upon my arms despite the heat. I looked around the room again and found a clear hallway, no plants in sight.

Taking what I thought were careful steps up the small set of stairs that would put me out of the foyer, I soon found my boot tug on something—a root of sort?

Gravity took hold and I fell forward, cursing loudly. I smacked face first into the hallway's wood floor, lighting a painful fire in my nose as I spat obscenities loudly. My denim jeans let me practically slide across the floor as I crawled far enough in the hallway to feel safe.

With a quiet whine, I sat on my bottom and dug in my purse to pull out the rolled up print. Scanning the house's layout, I pondered on where to go as I massaged my throbbing nose.

Where would they be if they were still here? If I were a villain and was using this house as my hideout… what room would be best to keep someone captive?

It was hard to say for this house, seeing as how all the rooms were totally unnecessary, just like at Kagami…

That was it! Everything in this house was totally unnecessary! Which room would _be_ _necessary_ for them?

My eyes scanned over the papers once more, taking in each room as the pain in my nose began to dull. The biggest room! The biggest room that could hold people captive, that could house a group of people trained to capture the Dark Tournament's most recent champions and give them space to fight their prey.

I stood up and brushed dust off my bottom.

Even if they weren't here anymore, I could pick up clues along the way to find what's happened so far.

Now to get up there.

* * *

**A/N:**

*** **_Nori_ is edible seaweed used to decorate rice balls.

Jumping right in! No time to waste; no better place to start.

Also I love punning-up band/artist names, even if it's just changing one letter. Inspired by Togashi's "Megallica" to keep the running gag going, even if in my own poor sense of humor. It gives me life. And if anyone noticed, I hate that line too, but I'd be damned if I was going to let it slip through that scene. LOL.

On another note, thanks to _Gimei, OhhTaylorJade, hollyandthediamonds, _and two guests for reviewing the first chapter, and everyone who's decided to tag along through follows and faves. Muah.


	3. Everything Will Be Alright

**A/N: **Thanks to _hollyandthediamonds, OhhTaylorJade,__ CellophaneCatastrophy,_ and_ YuYuHakushoObsesser_ for reviewing last chapter, and everyone else who's tagged along through follows and faves. Muah. Love ya.

* * *

_**PART II. "Everything Will Be Alright."**_

* * *

_"I believe in you and me. I'm coming to find you if it takes me all night...  
Wrong until you make it right."_

_— Brandon Flowers._

* * *

**Kurama.**

A dreamless sleep, more so of an encompassing blackness accompanied by a sense of faux-unconsciousness.

Sleep was heavy yet fleeting, and always reoccurring. Moments faded in darkness, thoughts drifted in and out, time wasn't real… all created a strange perception of reality. In those brief moments of consciousness, a cursory thought would pass—whether I actually slept—before I returned to the ease of rest.

And in that strange distorted reality, I paid no attention to the familiar voice I heard plenty of times in my dreams… and more so in my conscious life.

"_Shit_!"

I stirred on the cot as a dull sound came to my ears next, half-conscious and paying no real attention to her voice. Instead, in my delusional state, I could imagine the choice of obscenities in order as they came next.

"_Shit, shit, shit, goddammit, shit_!"

With silence following after, sleep reclaimed my body and the darkness was prevalent once more. It was ephemeral, and heavy lids opened again briefly to adjust to the darkness. I closed them again, determined to receive some rest before our trek to Mushiyori.

"Sign of struggle in the big room… electricity somehow turned on… but no other clues."

The cogs in my mind reeled, trying to piece everything together. The voice, the words, clicked instantly. They were not simulated by my subconscious.

"The house isn't destroyed… so maybe they left calmly? Maybe they won…"

My eyes opened quickly as I sat upright in the cot, waking instantly. Soft footsteps trailed down the hallway outside the small room.

I could _not_ believe how obstinate she was.

I reached for my uniform slacks and hastily put them on before heading for the door. The footsteps paused as I opened the door slowly, quietly, as to not catch her attention. I peered down the hall, seeing her small frame outlined subtly in the dark distance.

She looked around the dusty hallway. "Then the question now is… where did they go?"

My palm flew to my face as I heaved a sigh. How on Earth did she find us…?

My sigh caught her attention, and she repressed a squeal as she jumped around to see me. A fading look of relief, and then a tense expression of distrust graced her dark features. I returned her stare with one of patience, waiting for her to react.

"Turn on a light," she said warily, parting her legs, ready to run. "You're hiding your face…"

I paused, confused…

I told her we didn't know what we were up against.

"This lighting is the only available concealer I have at the moment." I hoped she would notice my diction.

She didn't loosen her stance, but began rolling up papers she held to put in her purse.

"Oh? And what would you possibly need to conceal?"

If I didn't answer then this would take longer to end…

With an exhausted sigh, I replied. "These _Dooney and Bourke_ bags under my eyes."

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to budge.

"So what's happened?" she asked, looking around the dirty, dark hallway. "You look tired at worst. Where's the scary threat that kidnapped Yu? Speaking of, where's the idiot?"

"What the _hell_ are you _doing_ here?!" His tired voice rang from down the dusty, dark hallway.

She turned on her heels to look for her friend. Yusuke, bearing a more than exasperated expression, stood outside the room he stacked claim on earlier, hunched over. He felt no shame walking around in his undershirt and boxers—though I couldn't blame him. Being woken after the mentally exhausting trial Genkai put us through, and the news we were then dealt, was not settling well with me either.

With a sigh of relief, she ran to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself upon him for a tight hug. He stumbled backwards briefly before settling himself with her weight. He was hesitant to hug back and was noticeably irked.

"How did you get here?!" he snapped, more confused than relieved to see her care.

"I told _him_ I had the prints!" she replied, pulled her face away from him. "Nobody wanted to listen to me!"

"You… what…?"

"The prints for this place. The house plans."

"What on earth is all the commotion?" Botan yawned, appearing from behind her door. "It's not dawn yet!"

After rubbing out the sand from her eyes, she took in the sight of Aiko—though she was far from surprised. She shrugged and turned to head back into her room.

"I knew she'd find her way here somehow…"

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened?" she asked as she let her feet return to the ground. "You all look pretty comfy. Having a fucking girl's night? You all cozy up at the fireplace and tell dirty junior high secrets?"

"I will tell you what's happened," I replied, pressing my index finger to my temple and massaging. "And I'll take you home as I tell you."

"No—_no_. Tell me here."

I inched towards her, hands displayed so she could see I meant no harm. "Let everyone get back to sleep. I'll tell you in my room."

"Don't touch me," she threatened, inching away with each step I took toward her and pointing accusingly at my hands. "Don't slip powder up my nose—don't do _anything_."

I paused instantly, locking gazes with her.

"Kurama." Botan's voice carried quietly from her room. "There was a reason I didn't argue about her going with us when Yusuke fought Goki."

Aiko straightened herself, glaring harshly at me. "Do not underestimate me."

"She always finds a way to stick her nose where it doesn't belong," Botan concluded. "Haven't you guys learned yet?"

I inhaled heavily, working the machinery in my head to find a way to leave her in this city.

"How long have you been in the house?" Yusuke asked.

She shrugged, angry eyes yet to leave me. "Maybe a half hour. And I'm not leaving yet."

"Geez…" Yusuke grumbled, shaking his head.

"Fine, I understand." I kept my intonation level, calm. "I'll explain everything, but we should really do this in the room I'm in so to not wake everyone else."

"Everyone else?" She glanced to the other doors in the curving hallway. "Who else is here? Kuwabara, right?"

"I'll tell you in the room."

She eyed me for a while before turning to Yusuke. "You okay, though?"

"I was until I was woken up," he replied, ruffling his hair out of its gelled style.

"Fucking crybaby. No 'wow I'm so glad you care about me, Aiko'?" She rolled her eyes as he cocked his head to the side in disbelief.

"You dragged yourself into danger again and you're madder about how I'm not thanking you for it?" He cocked his head forward, squinting. "You hit your head on your way in or something?"

She waved at him dismissively as she walked to me. "Whatever. Go back to bed then. Rude."

"I know it's a long shot but try to talk some sense into her, Kurama," Yusuke said to me as he stayed put in the middle of the hallway.

Sadly, I couldn't even make a silent promise to Yusuke that I would be able to get rid of her. If I wanted to tell her what was truly happening, even if I did find a way to leave her in the city, she would find a way to Mushiyori. Ideally, it would have been better to tell her everything _after_ we returned from Mushiyori, but here she was.

He leaned his shoulder against the door's threshold, watching Aiko and I retreat into the room I slept in.

I could risk lying, breaking the trust between us when she found out the truth, but I couldn't do that. If the worst case scenario came and the portal opened, I would need her to take our families and get as far away as possible.

She would spend more time complaining to me about how I lied than actually conjuring a plan to get herself to safety. I also did not want that to be the last thing she thought of me if I were to perish in battle.

I would have to tell her the truth and find a way to leave her here. She would be mad at me, though the anger would disappear over time—just in time for her to concentrate on evacuating our families.

Once we entered the room, she walked past me to stand directly in front of the open, curtain-less window to see the lit street below.

As I made my way to the cot that I assumed had been left by squatters that stayed here at one point, I eyed her silhouette, watching her tension disperse throughout the room. I sat at the cot and she glanced over her shoulder to see me as it squeaked with my weight.

"You might want to sit down," I said, and she eyed me suspiciously.

"Promise me you'll tell me what's happened."

"I will. I have to."

She sat on the cot, stiff, at arm's length from me in fear of me drugging her to get rid of her.

"I won't do anything to you," I said quietly. "I promise."

After a few seconds, her shoulders relaxed and the tension disappeared. She did not close the distance between us. Instead, she looked at me, watching and waiting, and I set aside the issue at hand.

I gathered the information in my head to present everything quickly and neatly. My hands found themselves entwined with each other, fingers lacing through and through as I rested my arms on my knees.

"Yusuke was kidnapped by Genkai," I started.

"His spiritual mentor." She nodded.

"It was a ploy to show us what's been happening the past few weeks." When she didn't respond, I continued. "There's a large rift in the barrier, and it's affected some people, given them strange powers. We think it's because the tunnel being created is larger than the ones that form naturally. It's being produced by someone, created."

"That's where the bugs are coming in from..." she mumbled to herself. She leaned towards me, putting her face in my view and letting the fruity-sweet smell of ginger and mango on her breath carry out with her words. "So border patrol should be on it like ants on candy, right…?"

"They have a general location of where it is." I returned her stare. "But they can't do anything about it since they don't know who's creating it. The only way to stop a tunnel of that magnitude is to kill its creator."

She sat up straight, hands clasping together.

"I guess… I guess it's really serious if you're taking the time to explain it to me, isn't it?"

I nodded, and she spoke in one heavy exhale.

"How serious?"

"Reikai classifies youkai's and psychic's strengths in a grading system. E-class is considered the lowest, the ones who can seep through the barriers on their own, like the insects you saw. Then D, C, B, A, and, the strongest, S."

"S-class," she mumbled, voice becoming hollow. "They'll be able to come through, won't they? Them and everyone else…"

I nodded again. "Yusuke fought a B-class youkai in the final match of the Dark Tournament. The entire stadium was destroyed in their fight. Yusuke almost lost his life."

I glanced to her, watching her shut her eyes and control her trembling jaw. She opened her eyes and inhaled before turning to me.

"And what are you all doing about this? Why are you involved and not the _glorious_ Special Defense Force?"

"I'm assuming Enma—the King of Reikai—doesn't want the Defense Force on human ground. If anyone catches wind they're searching for the creator, then there's a possibility the creator may speed up the process, open the portal instantly."

She sneered. "Why would they waste their time opening it however slowly they are now, then? If they could do just open it whenever, why not just say 'fuck it' and let it loose?"

"Some people enjoy the anticipation."

"Sick people…"

"I'm sure Enma still deployed them and are using us as a public display—a distraction to the enemy. If we make all the moves, put the enemy's attention on us, the SDF will just have to sit back and wait until we lead them to the creator."

She sniffed and straightened her posture, remaining silent.

"Do you have any leads?" she asked.

"No, that's what we're doing this morning. We'll be searching for clues in Mushiyori."

"How long until the tunnel opens?"

"It's currently predicted at… a few weeks."

She turned to me, not breaking the posture she was forcing. "What do we do when it opens?"

"If the worst case scenario happens, and I'm incapacitated, you will take our families and get as far away from Mushiyori as possible. Preferably to the States if possible."

Her lips curved into a frown, brows furrowing "And you?"

"Don't worry about me."

Timidly, she crossed one leg over the other and stared at the wall across from us. In silence we sat, watching the dust filter around in the air in the room, floating around the square of moonlight from the window.

These rooms, as the mansion bore many, were left untouched, and dust, animals, and insects roamed in their home freely until tonight when they hid at the first sign of life. Even now, the faint sound of nibbling and scurrying could be heard inside the thin walls and underneath the creaking floors.

Dust covered the floors, scarce furniture, and walls in a paste. Despite its tattered state, it looked natural, as if the architect dreamed it to be this way from the beginning.

Her fingers snaked between my hands and I released my own to guide her palm over mine. She gripped it tight, her entire arm shaking. I paused… before clasping my hand around hers. Her fingers interlaced with mine, and warmth as hot as the color of her nails radiated from her palm and fingertips.

After a few moments of silence, staring down at our hands, she spoke.

"So they put Yu in charge?"

I nodded and she let out a dry, curt laugh. "We're fucked."

"I need you to stay here," I said. "I need you to stay here and plan an escape."

She shook her head. "No, I need to see how bad it is. I need to see for myself so I know what to do…"

"There's a possibility we may run into the creator, and if that happens it may need to be taken care of there."

"I don't care. I can run, I can hide," she whispered, leaning towards me as if to keep Yusuke from hearing. "I know I'm no use in a fight, but I need to see this. I need to assess this and know just how far I'm going to have to run—whether I can tell a lie to our parents or if I'm going to have to tell the truth to get them to leave."

There was still a way to get her out of this trip. Arguing would only be pointless and time-consuming.

"Alright," I said with a nod. "I do need to stop by my house before we leave to Mushiyori."

She rose a skeptical eyebrow at me.

"Don't even _think_ about trying anything funny," she warned, snatching her hand from mine and letting the cold air sting my palm just as quickly. "If Botan gets to go then I do too—that's why she's still here, isn't she?"

"Yes but—"

"If _she_ can go, so can I."

"You're implying she's useless, which she is not. We need her to—"

"I am not. I'm saying—"

"Be careful, Aiko." Botan's tired voice carried through the wood behind us. "The walls are _very_ thin, you know."

Aiko shut her lips, pursed them thinly, and stared at me accusingly.

"We're leaving, Botan," I spoke to the blue haired girl on the other side of the wall as I stared at the brunette in front of me. "We'll meet at the train station when the lines open."

"Roger that," she replied with a yawn.

Aiko stood first, and after gathering my belongings, we headed out of the house. She led the way to the front door, and upon stepping outside, we gratefully welcomed the clear, cool air after spending just a few seconds passing through the heated, tropical jungle I created in the foyer.

I figured I had eased her tension about my threat earlier, but it seemed to mean nothing now that she knew being left was still a possibility.

She stayed just steps behind me at arm's-length for the duration of our walk. After a long while, the street lights flickered off as the sun began to rise in the distance. And then, as the sunrise shaded the clouds and street with a pink hue, she stopped.

"You haven't talked to your mom during all of this, have you?" she asked.

"I haven't." I stopped to look back at her.

"I'm your alibi then." She gestured to me before digging in her purse. "Come here."

When she pulled out a thick, black marker and looked at the back of her hand, I made my way towards her.

"Give me your hand," she said, looking at the back of her own. "Your left."

Holding my hand out, she took it gingerly and let her eyes dart back and forth between the back of my hand and hers—which had a fading, red stamp.

"If she's awake or sees us and asks where you were, at least it backs us up." She uncapped the marker and held her hand next to mine for a reference.

She ran the marker over my hand slowly, beginning the drawing upside-down. The kanji would be a bother to replicate upside-down.

"I apologize." My words caught her attention as she closed the circle.

She looked up at me with tired eyes, lifting the marker from my hand. "For?"

"The threat," I replied. "It was empty, to be honest. Though I understand why you're wary."

"Promise you won't force me to stay behind then."

"I would never resort to physically stopping you."

She eyed me for a moment before closing the distance between us. Her back turned to me as she leaned against my arm to keep steady, her body just inches from mine. Holding my hand to keep it still, she drew the kanji from the stamp inside the circle... and I could smell her faint, lingering scent of cucumber melon.

The wet ink dragged around my hand in the design, and in just seconds of careful drawing, it was recreated. She then darkened her own stamp.

We blew on our ink, letting it set, before continuing down the empty neighborhood street.

As we approached my house, we kept silent, as if my mother could hear us from the second story. The key seemed to click loudly as the door unlocked, and we stepped inside quietly. I hung my uniform jacket on the coat rack as Aiko began taking off her shoes.

"Take a seat," I whispered as I slipped my shoes off. "I'll be down soon."

I had to hurry and leave. She wasn't dense.

As I stepped up the stairs, I carefully watched her from my peripheral vision to see her seated on the couch in the living room. With light feet, I quickly made it in my room without disturbing my mother. Closing the door behind me, I picked out casual clothing that would be practical enough to accommodate me if we ran into trouble. The last thing I needed was the enemy to see me in my school uniform.

Just as I pulled the white shirt over my head, a loud, hollow crash echoed throughout the home. Glass.

Actions registered as it echoed throughout the quiet house. As I stood there, shirt slowly settling over my torso and my mothers footsteps quickly racing down the hallway, I couldn't even feel anger towards her.

I was almost proud.

"Shuichi?" My mother's worried voice carried through the woodwork before she opened my bedroom door to see me slipping on a pair of jeans.

I couldn't repress the smile I wore. "Yes, Mother."

"Is… is someone else here with you?"

I reached in the closet, grabbing the first jacket without much thought. "Yes, Aiko's downstairs."

"Oh," she sighed in relief, hand placed over her heart. "Thank goodness, I thought someone broke in."

"Shiori." Aiko's voice then came next, quieter, from down the hall. "I'm so sorry…"

"Dear, are you alright? What happened?" My mother stepped back into the hall to see the girl.

I tucked my shirt in my jeans quickly to finish changing.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry. I was just reaching for a glass and it slipped and—god, there's glass everywhere. I'm so sorry. I woke you too…"

And the Japan Academy Prize goes to—

"Don't worry about it, dear, I'm just glad you're alright. But I do need to talk to you—you and Shuichi both."

"Yes, Mother," I said, exiting my room as I put on my jacket.

"I'll explain—it's all my fault. Everything," Aiko said hastily. She stuck her hand out, showing Mother the stamp. "We went to karaoke last-minute and I dragged him with us. It's really all my fault. We got so caught up in everything. It was such a party it slipped our minds."

She paused and took Aiko's hand to see the stamp, and then adjusted her view to see mine at my side. She looked between the two of us for a moment before settling her gaze on Aiko.

"Oh…" She almost seemed shocked.

I didn't blame her surprise, as I never spent time with classmates off campus.

"I'm sorry, Mother," I said, dragging her attention to me. "I should have been more responsible."

She crossed her arms over her chest, ruffling her blue nightgown. She inhaled, eyeing the two of us skeptically.

"And I'm guessing you're going out again?" She nodded to our casual attire. "After being out all night?"

She eyed Aiko then, who quickly came with a response.

"Shiori," she spoke with a small smile. "Your son is top in his class. I wanted to celebrate with him."

"You didn't tell me you placed first," she said, a small smile cracking through.

"He's too modest," Aiko replied, repressing an eye roll. "I'm really sorry about everything, Shiori. I just wanted him to have some fun since he worked so hard the entire year."

She sighed, shaking her head. "And where are you two planning to go now?"

"Mushiyori…" she said hesitantly with a small cringe.

Mother's brows furrowed. "Why there?"

Aiko hesitated briefly, letting me cut in.

"The new Pocky store just opened about a week ago," I said before glancing to Aiko. "Pocky-mania?"

The girl nodded, pulling out a sort of half-truth. "Yeah! My friend's dad owns the company and suggested we drop by sometime."

"It's about five stories tall and goes underground as well. It's both a factory and a sort of shop in one."

She tapped her foot against the floor, staring me down with a small smirk. "And what about your club activities today?"

"He can miss _one_, can't he?" Aiko grinned ear to ear, rocking her body innocently, childishly. "One Saturday morning not looking at bryophytes and pterophytes slides won't hurt him, right?"

Mother kept her smile on, eyeing me up and down before hanging her head with a defeated sigh. "I guess not."

Aiko smiled triumphantly, nodding to herself proudly, and my mother quickly raised her head and brought along a reprimanding finger.

"But this will not become routine, Shuichi! It's important for you to have fun, but your studies always take priority!"

I smiled. "Of course."

"And what time do you two expect to be back?" she said before looking around the walls for the clock. I could hear the disbelief in her voice."At five in the morning again?"

"We should be back before nighttime." Aiko shrugged.

"Definitely before nightfall."

My mother rubbed the back of her neck with a tired sigh. "Then go on, you two. Go have fun. Savor it while you can."

I nodded to her, leaning in briefly to peck her cheek, knowing this could be the last time I see her. She rubbed my back and patted my arm, squeezing it gently it before I pulled away to walk down the hallway.

I eyed Aiko briefly, but she stayed put in front of my mother.

"I'm really sorry about the glass, though." Aiko's voice hushed dramatically. "I'll pay for it, just tell me the amount."

"What was it? A cup?" My mother couldn't help but cock an eyebrow, despite her voice sounding less than surprised. "Don't worry about it, dear. Really."

The brunette gave in and nodded. "I really am sorry. I'll clean it before we leave."

"Go on, I'll take care of it. Don't worry," my mother replied, resting her hands on the girl's shoulders in comfort. "It's fine, Aiko. Accidents happen."

The brunette nodded again before saying goodbye and turning to me. As we left the house, she moved the subject to me because it _wasn't_ an accident.

"How much will it cost?"

"It's one cup, Aiko. It's not even a set."

"It was still something I broke," she mumbled as we made our way down the street.

"Not coming will make up for it."

"No. God, you're useless," she sighed, and then shrugged. "I'll just check how much the cups at the mall are or something."

We continued our walk to the train station, and I figured there was no use in fighting it anymore. Even if I were to take advantage of my speed, she'd still end up in Mushiyori through spite and determination. At this point, I figured I was best off letting her in the enemy's territory by my side instead of roaming alone and getting into trouble.

The streets began to wake, with people and cars humming and revving by with ease in the early morning chill. The smell of gasoline, nicotine, and flavored, ground coffee filled the air around us, coming to life again as it had rested and staled throughout the quiet, lonely night.

We passed by a payphone on the flourishing street, and she grabbed my jacket sleeve, tugging me to stop. I turned to find her other hand in her purse.

"I would tell you to go ahead because one of these phone calls is going to be very degrading but I know you'll just head off without me," she said, pulling out some coins. "I need to call before he calls the cops or something, so bear with me."

I leaned against the payphone as she dialed the first number. It went to voice-mail and she left a quick, informal yet reassuring message that she was alive. It was the second phone call that I expected to be unbearable, and just as she addressed herself, a wave of pity washed over me.

Her father's voice snapped through the receiver, crystal clear. She pulled the phone away from her ear. "Are you stupid enough to think you can make off easy after avoiding me and _asking your mom_ to go out last night?"

"I know… But, look, I'm at Shuichi's and we're just going to stay here and study." She put the phone back to her face, shaking her head and mouthing "thank god we don't have caller ID."

"You're stupider than I thought if you think I'm going to let your ass stay out after last night," he snapped.

After the news, which she reluctantly relayed to her parents, that she didn't place above fifty, her father became irate. All the tuition put into Meiou and the cram school that helped place the scores to get in the prestigious high school, and she still couldn't make it past the fifty mark.

She understood his anger and harbored it, accepted it.

"No fucking wonder you placed below fifty, you're a fucking idiot," he said. "Get your ass home. Now."

"But Dad, he placed first in the class… I need him to help me."

"He can help you at home then."

"His mother's sick and he'd rather not leave her alone all day." She looked up to me with a plea for forgiveness for using that card.

"Don't be a fucking burden on them then," he said. "Get your ass home. Now. You can study here."

She curled the phone cord around her finger, her body fidgeting.

"I need his help if I'm going to pass any of the exams…" she whispered. "I couldn't do it on my own last time… I need help. Please let me stay with him today."

"Bull fucking shit," he groaned. "You needed help after winter break and yet you still went out and did your own thing. I thought I could trust you to learn how to manage your studies and social life. Obviously you can't. You're coming home and you won't see daylight until you're twenty-one."

"I tried really hard!" she snapped, eyes reddening as tears pooled in her eyes. "I tried really fucking hard after winter break! Obviously if I can't do it on my own then I need help—why would you deny me help when I need it?"

"You don't want help, Aiko. I'm not fucking stupid. You want to stay out. You know who gets to stay out? Do fun things? People who make something of themselves, and you're not one of those people."

The back of her hand found its way under her nose, hiding her frown as she sniffed.

And though I knew this was my last chance to make her stay, I too was partial to her.

I held my hand out and gestured gently, to which she looked up at me, curious. I gestured again and she removed the phone from her ear and slowly placed it in my waiting palm.

"Hello, Mr. Hojo." I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder as I leaned against the payphone still.

His voice changed immediately, restrained and formal. "Hello… Minamino."

I stared down at the girl as I spoke, watching her features soften in surprise. "I understand your concern for Aiko running around town with her classmates, but I can assure you we'd be at my house, studying."

I could hear the tongue in cheek tone. "I don't want to put that on you and your mother if she's sick. You should be focusing on her, not my delinquent."

"My mother finds Aiko a delight to have around, Mr. Hojo. Besides, if I'm here taking care of the house, letting my mother get as much rest as possible, then having Aiko here wouldn't be a problem. It would be nice company."

We locked gazes for seconds more as her father paused, knowing this could ruin our routine if we failed to follow through with any compromises.

"I want her home for dinner tonight."

I smiled. "Certainly."

"I hope she learns something from you and is able to raise her scores. It'd be a shame to not see you around after her next exam."

"I'm positive she will raise them," I replied. "She got a head start this week in her studies. She mentioned how confident she felt about a few quizzes we already took."

"I'll see her at dinner then."

"Goodbye, Mr. Hojo," I said as I handed the phone to her.

"Dad?" she asked as she put the phone to her ear. "…Dad?"

She waited for a response, only to be greeted by the dial tone seconds later. She hung up and gently wiped away the angry tears threatening to fall and ruin her day old make-up.

A motorcycle revved at the stoplight, blaring loudly before taking off down the street as the light changed to a bright, vivid green. And with the drastic noise fading down the street, the silence between us grew louder. She stared out into the street, crossing her arms over her chest as she mimicked my stance against the payphone.

The light turned red again, accumulating cars on the road next to us, all humming softly.

"Will you help me?" she asked, eyes watching the stalled cars. "With classes, when this is over…"

I nodded softly, and she swallowed a lump in her throat as she stood up straight. I followed suit as she stepped up to me.

"Thanks," she said somberly, waiting for me to lead the way.

"Don't mention it," I replied.

We said nothing more to each other as we carried on.


	4. (At Least) Between You and I

**Aiko.**

It seemed everyone had the same idea: don't let the enemy see you in your school uniform.

Yu greeted me with a nod as Kurama and I approached the group. He knew I wouldn't let them go off without me, not this time. And so, with a heavy sigh, he reached his hand out to me for a shake, and I sneaked underneath his arm for a one-armed, half-assed embrace I dared call a "hug."

"Why can't you be like Keiko, eh?" he snapped in my ear quickly before letting go. "She knows not to stick her nose in this shit."

"Well, she should learn to," I replied quickly, hushed. "Maybe then your ass would be kept in check."

"Uh-huh." He leaned in again and nodded to the members of the group.

Along with Botan and Kuwabara, there was the familiar face of Genkai, who I only met once, and two younger boys I'd never seen before. Among the two was another, a familiar face—one I saw on campus. Yu, Kaito.

He was notorious in Meiou for his astounding grades and off-campus achievements, and though there was never any real talk of the feud, the student body and sometimes even the staff would often be seen quietly betting on who would score highest on an exam—Yu, Kaito, or Minamino, Shuichi. The fact there were still people betting on Kaito in our second year showed he was a formidable academic opponent.

Despite the glaring sun's rays, I locked eyes with Yu, Kaito. He knew who I was too—unfortunately, not because of my achievements on and off campus (which did not exist).

"Yana." Yu nodded to the first boy who had to invest in ten times the amount of hair gel he did. He nodded to another boy, one with beady eyes and dyed blonde hair. "Kido, and Kaito is someone I'm assuming you know. They're physics, got some strange powers from the tunnel. Kurama tell you about it?"

"Little bit." I nodded. "Anything special?"

"Real special. Not the normal stuff you see from reiki. Like Yana can literally become you if he touches you. Learn everything about you, memories and all."

I bristled.

"Don't worry," Yu whispered. "He's cool. Won't touch you—any of us."

I nodded, convincing myself to trust his word.

"You scouting out the place?" he asked, straightening upright and looking down the tracks, at the freeway that rode along the train. "Planning an escape route or something?"

I nodded again. "You want me to convince your mom too? Tell her? Lie?"

"I'm going to…" He shrugged. "I'm telling her to go up north for a while."

"She knows?" I asked. I wasn't surprised, because surely she should have figured something out by now with how often he disappeared.

He nodded his head side-to-side. "Eh… kind of. She may be drunk all the time but she's not an idiot, you know? She knows _something's_ up."

The announcer's automated voice spoke over the loud-speaker above, announcing our line's arrival. Just seconds later we could hear the train roaring against the wind, heading towards us at a dangerous speed on the tracks.

We were first on the car and I seated myself promptly. I was sure when the new faces noticed I fell asleep during the ride they would take advantage to ask why I was there.

Which someone in the group, most likely Botan, would surely reply. "We kind of just accept it at this point."

I didn't trust Kurama when we were at his home, as he was surely going to slip out his window undetected, but I knew I could rest here. I trusted him to not leave me on public transportation—a train of all places.

He didn't.

He nudged me off his shoulder, waking me up, and I restrained myself from rubbing my eyes as we stepped off the train and into Mushiyori Station. The building was crowded on the platform, and when we stepped into the lobby it was still bustling with people for the early morning rush. I kept pace with the red-head next to me, and as we closed in on the main entrance, with the blinding daylight shining through from outside the glass doors, he leaned closer to me with a small whisper.

"Brace yourself."

I didn't pay his words much mind as we stepped through the automatic doors and into the morning. When my pupils adjusted to the immediate change, my surroundings were clear.

The flurry of youkai bugs flying around the city was sickening, and I was _pleasantly_ reminded of the incident at Sarayashiki. My breathing quickened and I began blindly digging around in my purse for anything to calm me, eyes still locked on the swarm of bugs. A bottle of water or—there we go. I had no qualms throwing three days clean down the drain.

I fumbled with the box of Cupids before shoving the cancer stick in my mouth and frantically searching in my bag for a lighter.

"We're fucked," I hissed to Kurama, who watched me pull out a zippo.

"These bugs aren't here to take control like the last time," he reassured me, pinching the cigarette with his fingers and pulling it from between my lips before I could light it.

"You mean to tell me with the entire city of Mushiyori like this, there's not one bug that's taken control of someone?"

I quickly scanned the people passing by us on the streets for signs of violence—for signs of complete hostility. Nobody seemed to be taken over by the parasites, at least not at first glance.

"They're different," he said promptly, flicking the cigarette on the cold concrete below us and grinding it with the heel of his shoe. "They're not being controlled."

Though it was reassuring, the sight was still… chilling.

"Alright, we're splitting up," the old woman's voice broke through my fear and dragged my attention to the group. My eyes searched for her and I eventually found her near Yu's hips. "One group is going with me to find anyone involved. The other is to scout the city for the tunnel and see how far along it is."

We stood at attention, away from the entrance to Mushiyori Station and off to the side as she eyed our group.

"Yusuke, Kido, and Yanagisawa are with me."

"Hey! Any particular reason why I'm not going?" Kuwabara asked.

"Because your reiki is gone," she replied bluntly, to which Kuwabara puckered his lips briefly in a frown. "You may be able to fight but as you are it will be no match for anyone we may come against. You're better off with this group anyway."

He shrugged and spoke low, to himself. "Feels just like being picked last for sports."

"Use your strength to protect this group," Genkai said.

Kuwabara frowned but nodded as he shoved his hands into his varsity jacket's pockets.

"Kaito will accompany you. His territory could come at an advantage if necessary."

I wondered what Kaito's territory could do as Meiou's Number Two nodded, understanding his orders.

"Kurama's best suited to search for the tunnel, and his abilities to strategize and fight are needed among you."

Kurama nodded then as well.

"Botan will serve as our messenger, as she will be able to travel between us the fastest, or to Reikai if need be."

Botan smiled and stuck her fingers to her head in salute, and Genkai then turned to me, with a more than expressionless face.

"And you."

"I'm here on personal business, and there's not much to me," I said, trying to sound as polite as possible. "So I don't know if you'd really be able to give me any orders… uh, but I'll follow whatever you give me…"

"You have a knack for pushing yourself into trouble, so maybe if we're lucky you'll land smack dab in front of the creator," she said plainly, and I held back a forced, throaty laugh. "You have no real reason to be here otherwise, so do whatever it is you have to do and try not to jeopardize anything."

I nodded slowly.

"Besides, you've got some meat in your head if you've been able to track us down twice. Apply that brain power to this and try to make use of yourself while you're here."

I nodded again, already feeling down about the order as I was paired with fucking _Kurama, _who at this rate was Japan's Brightest, and Yu, Kaito, our prefecture's number two child prodigy.

The two smartest students in Meiou for a reason. I was no match. I shouldn't complain; I knew I had no other reason to be here.

I had to remember I was here to assess the damage of Mushiyori and the potential issue that could erupt. And just being here less than five minutes already made me aware of how serious the issue was. I may not be useful to her, but to Kurama and our families, I would be.

"When you're all done with your scouting, come find us. It shouldn't be too much a problem with Botan in your group and a communicator between us."

"Won't be!" Botan replied proudly with a nod.

With that, we split up, letting Kurama take the lead.

While I could see the youkai flying around town, latching on people, or seemingly minding their own business in the air, I had no idea what a tunnel felt like. If it was anything as creepy as the feeling these bugs gave me, then I was glad I didn't know what I was looking for.

Kurama knew, though.

"So you're looking for the source?" I asked Kurama.

He nodded. "Where it's the strongest. That's where the creator should be."

"You're in chemistry, Hojo, you should know at least the basics of this. Think of heat," Kaito said from behind me. "I guess the simplest way to explain it is..."

His tone was obviously neutral but I couldn't help but feel like he was speaking to me about this like because he was a geeky little snob and he saw my placement on the roster in the hall. I wanted to make a rude remark, but seeing as how I was here uninvited and served no use other than my own, I figured I should take the stupid lecture with a zipped-closed mouth.

"Like a campfire on a cold night. The source of the heat is the strongest, and its warmth is emitted outwards, towards the cooler temperature. A gradient."

I couldn't keep it shut for long. At least I was tame.

"I'm going to have war flashbacks of that class. Stop." I looked to Kuwabara before anyone could react to my tone. "So… if you had control over your reiki, then you'd be able to look for it?"

Kuwabara paused, surprised, but then nodded. "Yeah, normally if I just concentrate I could feel something's off. But I can't feel a thing! I can't even see any of these bugs Botan's complaining about!"

"You're lucky, Kuwabara, this is absolutely disgusting!" Botan seethed, waving around a fly swatter she magically pulled out of her purse to keep the bugs at bay. "Then again, I think I'd rather see them than not know they're touching me."

On cue, I waved off a bug that landed on Kuwabara's broad shoulder.

Kaito was next. Though I wasn't too keen on talking to him, I wanted to know I wasn't alone.

"Can you feel it? The tunnel." To which he shook his head in reply. No. "Botan?"

"Somewhat," she replied. "I couldn't search for it like Kurama is but if I was near it I'm sure I'd be able to feel the presence."

At least I wasn't alone.

* * *

We headed out of the heart of the city and into the suburbs. The sight of cozy homes and corner stores were short-lived, and we followed Kurama into the outskirts of Mushiyori.

The youkai bug epidemic that manifested in the city was slimming here; it was close to none.

Grass and trees were plentiful, though since we were just coming out of cold weather the grass was still greening. There was a dirt path we found that lead us up a mountain, into forestry. The path we walked on was untouched spare the small prints from wild animals that ran around days or weeks ago when the ground was wet, leaving various prints in the hardened dirt.

"Are you guys sure we should be going _up_ a mountain?" I asked, trekking behind Kurama. "If it was all the way up here then wouldn't Reikai already know where it is?"

"It does seem odd to place a tunnel on higher ground," Kurama noted in front of me. "But the presence is definitely increasing as we continue this way."

"If we don't find anything, we can always go back down and search around the mountain," Kaito suggested from the back of the group.

"Can't Botan do a quicker check flying around?" I looked over my shoulder for the blue haired reaper.

"I don't think I should be flying around so close to the tunnel," she said. "What if the creator or his friends are here? I don't want to give us away."

"True." I nodded.

"We'll decide on something if we don't find anything when we reach the strongest area," Kurama said.

When we left the forestry, the path turned to flat land and died, muddling into broken grass patches. Our view of the deserted grassy plane was eerie, completely unsettling. There were no bugs in sight.

"This is it," Kurama mumbled, slowing to a stop in front of me.

I looked around at the empty scenery, finding what could have been a few relatively large shacks in the distance. Other than that, nothing but greening grass as far as the eye could see and the curving hill of a mountain heading higher into the sky.

Where was the tunnel?

I turned on my heel, looking over my shoulder to see the city in the distance. From here, it was as if the city was surrounded in a dirty haze, one visibly moving…

Why would they all be out there and not here, closer to the tunnel where they came from? …Because there was a food source out there.

The realization churned my stomach, and I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Are you sure the tunnel's here?" I asked, looking back to Kurama. "Am I missing something? Can I not see it?"

"I figured it was just me. It seems like a… common vacant lot," Kuwabara mumbled. "I'm sure the tunnel isn't in that shack in the distance…" He looked around, just as confused as me. "There's nothing here?"

"Do you think you latched on something else, Kurama?" Botan suggested. "I mean, this _is_ the area Reikai mentioned it should be in but…"

"You sure the guy's in the center of this tunnel?" Kuwabara asked.

"I wasn't picking up a person's aura; I was picking up Makai's presence," Kurama replied. "If I was picking up on his aura then naturally he would be in the center of the expanding tunnel. So either way..."

"Then what the hell?" Kuwabara grumbled, looking around the scenery.

"Regardless of who or what we've found, if we can't find it on the surface…" Kaito's words clicked in all our heads instantly, letting us finish the sentence together. "It's underground."

If it's underground then… those probably weren't "shacks." What could they be...? I stepped forward in the grass, away from the group, and felt the few yellowed weeds crunch underneath my boots.

I gasped in both excitement and realization, feeling the revelation hit me like a ton of bricks.

"What?" Botan asked.

"We're at a nature conservation area!" I grinned. "That's why there were animal prints on the dirt path and why there's a _cave_ here. Those shacks are probably garages for security and fire patrol."

"Okay I know figuring we're looking for a cave now is important but," Kuwabara said. "I don't get why you're excited to know this is conservation area."

"Because if we're forced out of here by the enemy, then we don't _have_ to come back right away—to find its location, I mean. We'd be able to find it at a local library. There's _caves_. This is a nature conservation area for exemplary landforms and _geological sites_. It'll be listed!"

"Yeah but if there's more than one cave, it'll be harder to pick which one it's in just from reading about them."

"Would it really be smart to plant a tunnel at a nature conservation area?" Kaito asked. "There's patrol that scouts the area every so often to make sure the wildlife are fine. There's also students, and private and government employees that come down to sites like this to do research and studies."

"As for patrol, the land could be privately owned," Kurama replied. "During off-season when the weather is too cold and most wildlife is hibernating, the security is more relaxed."

"As for students…" I paused, crossing my arms in thought. "The cave has to be something that nobody finds interesting or doesn't have anything worth researching."

Kaito hummed to himself, looking out across the grass plain. "Something's not right. I don't see why nobody would go to a cave for research, especially one that's so winding and large that it could hold such a dangerous tunnel."

"You're right…" I mumbled begrudgingly.

"Let's check out the area anyway!" Botan suggested. "See if we can find any caves and give them a look around."

"Getting too close to the enemy may be dangerous," Kaito said. "Plus a cave is a good place to hide a body—especially if it's deep."

"Yeah we definitely need to be more careful up here," Kuwabara said, looking around the plain. "I'm already getting a bad feeling about this place."

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking around the plain. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Let's just go look at those garages, maybe they have a name on them or something."

"We'll look up the conservation area at the library another time," Kurama said suddenly, turning back around to face the city our hill hovered over. "We should head off to see Yusuke's group."

My brows furrowed. "But… we're already here. Are we really going to turn back now after taking like over an hour to walk here?"

Even Botan looked a bit skeptical, but with a small huff she began digging in her bag.

"I brought along some detective items," she whispered to me before pulling out a familiar golden ring. "Here."

She shoved the small ring in my hand, and I remembered it instantly. Hard to forget something you saw when you were sure you were going to die…

"Why?" I whispered, keeping the boys attention to themselves.

They stood behind us, talking about where to possibly find Yu's group.

"Worst case scenario, I need to leave and contact Reikai, leaving you as our last resort," Botan replied, hushed as she gripped me by the arm and pulled me away from their group quietly.

"Gee, thanks," I scoffed a laugh. "I love being important."

"They're acting weird and I trust Kuwa's instincts," she replied, serious expression far from budging. "You need to learn how to use this. You're the only one here who doesn't have a means to protect themselves. Even Kuwabara has his brute strength without his reiki."

"Then… what do I do?" I hesitated, looking down at the strange ring.

"I have to warn you that once you use it, you'll definitely pass out," she said. "You remember what it did to Yusuke's reigun? That's what will happen. It increases the strength of your reiki ten times. Aim right and you'll kill your attacker. You may pass out but you'll at least live…"

I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought of killing someone. I thought again of Goki. I could still remember the way his head tore apart...

"Slip it on," she ordered, and I did so, feeling the cold gold slide down my index finger. "Now there's plenty of ways to go about this but… I think this way would be best."

I waited patiently for her to start, staring at my finger and how tacky the ring looked on me. The fire-red manicure and this stained gold clashed in all sorts of ugly ways—and red and gold were supposed to look cute together. Step up your fashion game, Reikai. This was the twentieth century.

"Concentrate on your finger tip," she said, but as I replied with a small "uh…" she sighed. "Okay… you know that _feeling_ when you see a ghost or youkai? That otherworldly presence that pressures around you?"

I nodded.

"Your reiki is being put to use when you pick up on otherworldly beings. Enough to make you aware of their presence. If you remember someone you saw then your body will remember the reiki it used to see them and will recreate a similar amount."

"Uh… is there any other way for me to learn how to channel reiki?"

She cocked her head to the side, humming in thought. "Yeah, but I think this would be the easiest way right now, especially with something that will magnify your reiki ten times its normal amount."

I frowned and stared down at my finger tip, and before I was distracted by the pretty color of my nails, I remembered what it was like to see the ghost at the shrine after New Year's.

She was radiant, elegant. Beautiful. It was strange to see her. _Off_. I could only remember why nobody seemed to pay attention to her when she was so obviously incandescent.

"Now channel that feeling to your finger," she instructed. "Just test it, don't let it go."

Channel...? I closed my eyes, concentrating on the idea of seeing her again, pushing any and all feeling to my hand. I remembered the way she had this radiance to her, the way she seemed to glow...

I could feel a shift—a shift _in me_. I opened my eyes. A small pressure around my body moved slowly, both from underneath and atop my skin in a smooth sequence. My being, a part of me, traveled to the base of my hand and toward my finger.

A spark—a pale, lustrous blue—emerged, traveling from the base of my finger where the ring resided to the tip of my nail. In an instant, it sparked off and disappeared into thin air.

Mouth agape with wide eyes, I turned my vision to Botan, who was gleaming with a bright smile. I felt a little tired but it was manageable. Really, all I wanted to do was yawn and sit down for a moment to regain some strength, but I was fine otherwise.

Again another spark emerged from the ring, crackling and spreading up my finger.

"Yes!" she said excitedly yet hushed, and quickly grabbed me by the shoulders. "But remember! You only get one shot. Your reiki is too low to use this again, so you'll pass out if you fire even _one_ shot."

Excited, I channeled the reiki again to my finger, letting the sparks crackle on and on. If I wanted to shoot, I just had to concentrate harder, recreate what Yu did.

"Don't let your reiki go!" she said quickly. "You'll wear yourself out if you do!"

I stopped immediately, watching the reiki disperse into the air around me, feeling nothing but excitement and that I could use another nap sometime this afternoon.

"What are you doing?" Kuwabara asked, hovering over Botan's shoulder.

"Just preparing for the worst!" Botan laughed nervously, shoving my hand to my side to put it out of sight.

Kurama eyed my hand with little interest. "You think she should be given that?"

"I'm not _giving_ it," Botan said. "Just… letting her use it while we're here."

"He's just mad someone else can save the day now." I placed one hand on my hip before flipping my hair over my shoulder.

"You'd probably blow yourself up using that," Kuwabara noted.

"Shut up." My face fell. "Whose side are you on here?"

"We should get going," Kurama said, breaking our bickering. "Botan, you have the other communicator right? Try calling Yusuke's group."

"Alright," she said, pulling out the familiar pink compact I remembered.

As the compact beeped softly in our group's silence, I stared out past the grass and into the city below, watching the dirty haze above the city float around, flourish in a slow, fluid movement like a fog. A heavy miasma, a promise of death's arrival. The disgust I felt at the sight struck a deeper cord in the depths of my heart, resurfacing a familiar fear in me and erasing my lingering excitement in the same moment.

Despite the state of this city, nothing was being done about it. Any psychic in their right minds knew their words meant nothing to the public, and if they had any sense they would have packed up and left a long time ago.

Because nobody in their right mind would heed their warning… the warning of an apocalypse. Nobody would, not even my parents. And as I watched the grass in the distance move slowly as if pushed by the wind, the same cord was struck again, harder.

I would have to lie. Lie about something _this_ serious, involve others… I remembered the last time I lied to save a Hojo. I didn't think we ever really moved on. I always wanted to believe they knew I was lying, deep down.

But this time, if they found out I was lying… I could consider myself disowned. But I had to lie because there was no way they would believe this mess.

I shook the memories away and figured I could put the escape route aside for now. I could think about it when the disgust wasn't manifesting deeper, stronger, and clouding my judgment.

I inhaled heavily. The air up here was still, calming. I was becoming impatient with the group as they decided about how they were going to find Yu's group.

Wait. The air was still.

There was no wind.

Cautious from Kuwabara's words, my eyes darted back to the patch of grass that shifted just moments ago. Not another patch of grass had moved. Probably an idle animal… this was a nature reserve after all.

Eyes too lazy to move from the spot, I took a deep breath and thought about what Yu's group could be up to—if they found anyone.

Kuwabara and Kaito walked past me with Botan trailing behind them. I stayed put as they stepped on the dirt path.

Kurama placed himself next to me, whispering. "Do not stare; it's not wise to let them know we're aware."

It took a moment for me to put the pieces together, and chills ran down my spine like a tidal wave.

"That's not funny," I hissed. My eyes darted away from the grass, frantic to land anywhere else but finding nowhere safe.

"I'm not joking," he replied.

I forced my gaze to settle on the city below as we began walking.

"Walk ahead of me," he said quietly, and I nodded. "Stay in front, in sight."

My heart throbbed in my throat as we stepped back into the forest. I could take a human. Well, I had a better chance with a human. But one with a "territory"?

I'd be fine… I had the ring.

Throughout the walk, I would check over my shoulder, worried they were following us. After the umpteenth time I glanced over my shoulder, Kurama's hand hovered in front of my eyes, blocking the view over my shoulder.

"Is he following?" I whispered, returning my eyes to the path.

"No," he replied calmly, and I sighed in relief.

Our attention turned to Botan as she sighed. "Second time I tried. Nobody's picking up the communicator."

"Does it run on batteries?" My question was merely hopeful.

She shook her head and debated on what to do. As we continued deeper in the forestry, she turned to us with an announcement.

"I'll do a quick scout of the city for them!" she said with a forced, cheerful smile. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

It was shocking, as none of us saw it coming. We expected the oar to materialize by her side. Instead, her physical form dropped unconscious, scaring Kuwabara out of his wits as he lurched over to keep her body from collapsing to the ground. He grabbed the collar of her sweater in time, practically choking the body as her soul separated from its shell, emerging gracefully, easily.

I watched her floating in midair; I couldn't hide the apparent shock on my face, and neither could Kuwabara or Kaito. Kurama, however, didn't seem fazed as an oar materialized next to her. She smoothed her kimono underneath her as she sat on it and flew into the sky.

She too had a beautiful glow...

Kuwabara heaved Botan's shell of a body over his back, carrying it with him as we continued down the path. When we neared the exit of the woods, Kuwabara spoke.

"Hey, Kurama." He looked over his shoulder to us. "Is anyone following us? I had a bad feeling back up there, it went away but..."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, anticipating his reply. They could have seen Botan leave and figured she may bring someone back, and it was better to get us when we were all together. I was almost trigger-happy at the thought, ready to aim and fire.

"Their presence disappeared long ago," Kurama said, and I sighed in relief. "We ought to assume they left us and went to check Yusuke's group."

"Urameshi, eh?" Kuwabara mumbled to himself, hiking Botan's body up as it began to slouch over. "They could be in trouble."

"This is Urameshi we're talking about," Kaito reminded him.

Kurama nodded. "Genkai is also with them. For now, I wouldn't be too worried."

I said nothing and turned my attention to the path we were walking. It was on cue that we stepped out of the forestry and into the suburbs of Mushiyori that Botan's flying body could be seen barreling at us on her oar—full throttle.

"I don't know where they are!" she called. "They're not on the streets!"

A few yards from us, she hopped off her oar and continued to glide closer to us before stopping in front of Kuwabara. She hovered inches off the ground as she waited patiently for her body.

After a few seconds of everyone waiting quietly, Kuwabara finally took her body off his back and held it up for her so she could reenter. And like the body was just sleeping, the minute her soul disappeared inside the shell, her amethyst eyes opened.

"So they're inside somewhere," Kurama noted to Botan as she stood on her own.

Botan nodded. "I'm worried though. I wouldn't be if the communicator was working…"

"Let's not worry too much about it," I offered, though even I wasn't too convinced.

If we were being watched then Yu and his gang were _definitely_ being trailed.

"We should walk the city, look for them," Kaito said.

Everyone agreed, and we set foot into the bug infested city. Botan, again, pulled out a fly swatter, and I stayed close enough to her for protection.

* * *

Everyone continued complaining about the bugs, and though I hated seeing the little monsters, I didn't want to drudge up old memories that were better left in the corner of my brain, collecting dust. I stayed relatively quiet on the subject. Kuwabara was upset that he wasn't able to see them still, but Botan and I hastily reminded him with each complaint that it was better he couldn't see the disgusting bugs floating around.

By now, back in the heart of the city, the sun was high in the sky. The boys looked around the streets for Yu's group or anyone suspicious while I was more preoccupied on the state of the town. I was only drawn out of thought when I heard a familiar wailing.

Having heard it plenty of times during my short high school career, I perked up instantly at the sound of sirens. I looked around the crowded streets for the tell-tale black and white car, and saw it barreling through the horde of bugs down the street.

It passed us by in a hurry, prompting worry in Botan and I.

"You think something's happened to Yusuke's group?" she asked, voice clearly laced with suspicion.

"We're in a huge city, maybe it's not even related," I said.

"Well, we shouldn't be too worried," Botan said with a reassuring smile. "Genkai's with them."

"Regardless, I don't think we should be idle any longer," Kurama said, and Botan was the first to take off running.

The group headed after the blaring cop car, and I knew I was the only one thinking to myself how this was the first time I wasn't running away from one.

I hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon and I was running on maybe two hours of sleep. I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them—not to mention I had used the ring and that had been a tad draining.

Botan led the way as we ran through the suburbs of Mushoyori, and though I fell behind, and was wheezing loudly thirty seconds into the run, I was able to follow. We lost sight of the car long ago, but we were graced with another clue as we rounded a street corner.

Botan stopped to see the ball of reiki that shot into the sky, parting clouds as it traveled up.

I would have to be an idiot to not realize what that was, especially when I was right next to it almost a year ago when it tore apart a head.

"Yu's reigun!" I said, coming up behind Kurama.

Kurama grit his teeth, running towards where the ball came from. I made it to the hospital Kurama led the way to without passing out. I waited in front of the hospital's front gate, breathing heavily and reading the stone print on the main entrance's wall.

Daikyo Hospital.

...And no cop car. I would have boasted about being right but following it led us here.

I turned my attention to the hospital itself. It was so quiet... it was silent. Hospitals were never _silent._ There should be ambulances making their runs, people walking in and out. Hell, even a ghost should be here somewhere.

That wasn't the entire gist of the issue, though. The atmosphere surrounding the hospital was eerie, uninviting. A thick pressure in the air, humidity.

Kuwabara was the first to head towards the entrance. "Alright, let's do this!"

"Wait." Kurama grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What?" Kuwabara asked as I scanned the windows.

Nobody was walking around. It was like the building was completely deserted.

Kurama eyed the windows. "It's strange. It's too quiet."

"Now that you mention it… it _is_ pretty quiet," Botan mumbled.

"What are you talking about?! Hospitals are typically kept quiet!" Kuwabara pointed out.

"Yeah but… I don't even see anyone… walking through the halls…" I said, out of breath still.

"So…" Kuwabara trailed off, catching on but still not sure why he couldn't just go in and help.

"You don't get it at all, do you?" Kaito said.

Kuwabara and I glanced over our shoulders to the child prodigy, side eyeing him so hard our eyeballs threatened to fall out their sockets. Tensions among us may have been high but I wasn't the only one taking personal offense to Meiou's Runner-Up's tone.

"What?" Kuwabara all but growled at him.

"If that was Urameshi's reigun and we haven't seen any other action since…" Kaito explained. "Something's wrong."

"Thank you, Sherlock," I hissed. "We would have never figured that out without your help."

It wasn't that Kuwabara didn't know. It was that Kuwabara didn't _care;_ they needed help so he wanted to help.

Kuwabara lifted Kaito off the ground by the collar of his jacket, and at that point I had to restrain myself from vocally encouraging him.

"What of it?!" Kuwabara yelled, lifting the school boy off the ground.

"This is someone's territory," Kurama said, calming Kuwabara, who I secretly wished would keep going. He dropped Kaito, who stumbled to his feet upon landing. "It's the enemy's and we don't know its rules."

"You can't tell what he can do just from being near it?" I asked, turning to Botan. Probably a dumb question but...

She shook her head. "No. So it's not wise to just go in inattentively."

"Yes, especially with Kuwabara not having any reiki," Kurama said.

Kuwabara practically fiddled his thumbs at that point. "When you put it that way…"

"You all stay here," Kurama said, and looked down at me specifically. "Don't do _anything_ until you hear from me." His attention then turned to Botan. "I'm going to check things out."

I opened my mouth to say, "I wouldn't follow you into something dangerous!" But I'd proven plenty of times before I would, so I pursed my lips and let my arms fold over my chest.

I watched as he ran for the entrance, pushing away the thought of having to tell Shiori some obscure lie about her son's death. I wanted nothing more than for him to change his mind and return to our side… but someone had to check on Yu's group.

It wasn't until his feet left the ground, pushing him into the air, that I was reminded of who—or _what_—he really was again. A vine extended from his hand, a vivid bright green, and elongated. He aimed it wildly, though obviously knowledgeably as it latched on the chain link fence that stood on the roof of the hospital five stories up.

I was reminded again of something I paid no attention to due to his human façade: I was emotionally, _romantically_, invested in a youkai.

Why did I disregard that reality? Something like that was _really_ something to think about when investing yourself in someone. I always knew what he was—he told me, showed me. I saw the way he could control plants; I spent time eavesdropping on Natsume's conversations to see when her father would be in town to protect him.

It was this strange cycle. Remember, revel in brief shock, and then easily disregard.

But watching him landing on the roof gracefully and disappearing seconds later… I would be lying if I said at this point I wasn't curious about him as a _youkai._

"I hope they'll be okay…" Botan said aloud, mainly to herself.

I eyed the windows again, searching for anyone moving. Why was there nobody there? Where was everyone?

"Do you think anyone who enters disappears?" I asked.

Botan shrugged. "Everyone's territory is different… so maybe. The territories definitely have their way of harming people if you break the rules."

Rules? "Like… like that sign that was left on the door of the mansion?"

"That was due to my territory," Kaito said. "I call it Taboo. If you say the word I chose in my territory, I can take your soul."

I tried controlling the shiver of fear that ran down my spine to no avail.

"And you can make it go away by choice?" I asked, coughing to clear my throat. "I said 'hot' when I entered and nothing happened."

"Either by choice or when you're knocked unconscious," Kaito replied. "Or killed."

I paused, watching the quiet hospital.

"Should we really just wait here?" I asked. "It feels so wrong to just sit here and wait for them."

I knew I couldn't do anything—but one shot. One shot if I aimed right. One shot to save them.

"We really shouldn't go in," Botan pressed.

"I'm with Aiko," Kuwabara said. "It feels wrong."

"We can't do anything!" Botan said. "We don't know anything about the territory and it'd be dangerous to walk in blind. The last thing they need is to be in a position to save us."

I stared down at the ring on my finger, wondering if I would be lucky enough to get one shot in. If they didn't come out soon, we'd have to go in eventually—we couldn't leave them here. I pushed aside the thought of a ball of reiki tearing someone apart, justifying the action as self-defense.

"Yeah, but it feels so wrong," Kuwabara mumbled. "Being useless out here when I could be helping—or _knowing_ what's happening at least!"

Glass shattered, provoking silence from us. We waited patiently, hoping to see someone run by the windows, come from the entrance. But nobody showed.

"Maybe it's from the back," Kuwabara mumbled, eyeing the windows as feverishly as I was. He groaned and stomped the ground, kicking rocks. "Damn this sucks. Being left out of the loop."

The minute those words left his lips, the atmosphere around us shifted subtly. The eerie feeling, the humid-like pressure, both gone instantly.

"It's down!" Botan said, and I was the first to move my legs towards the main hospital entrance.

I wasn't really interested in running, but knew I had to if I wanted to see how they fared.

Wary of our surroundings, unsure of how many enemies were in the hospital, I channeled reiki to the ring again. The small crackles could be heard under our footsteps as we entered the hospital.

Stepping inside, our eyes hit the ground. Everyone was on the floor, struggling and coming to as if they'd all been passed out the entire time. Staff and patients groaned as they struggled to sit themselves upright, but we had no time to check on the public.

The police would be here soon to do that as someone with enough strength would call them. We needed to get out of here. We weaved through the hallways, looking for Yu or Kurama, even Kido, Yana, or Genkai would have been a relieving sight.

Luckily, we found Yu first. He was standing at a broken window, staring out into the back parking lot. Behind him were Yana and another male, both struggling to help themselves up from the floor.

I slowed to a stop, relief washing through me at the sight of everyone alive. I stopped channeling, letting my reiki return to equilibrium in my body.

"Hey!" I called for his attention, relieved to see him alive.

He paused, face changing from a somber relief to one of surprise. He turned to us with an appreciative smile on his face.

"What in the world is going on here?!" Botan chided as I strode forward.

I looked around our small group. Someone's missing. Who's missing? Yu's didn't seem too freaked out about it so maybe they're okay.

"I really don't want to talk about it!" he laughed, forced.

"The entire hospital is going to be in frenzy!" I called, closing in on him. "We need to get out of here before the cops come!"

I walked to the juvenile delinquent and looked him over as Genkai jumped through the broken window.

"Botan!" Genkai called to the reaper, and I took my eyes off Yu for a moment to look out the window, finding an unconscious man in a lab coat. "Tend to those two boys; they took some heavy injuries."

"Yes Ma'am!" Botan smiled before heading to where they were.

"What happened? Was he the one with the territory?" I bombarded him with questions, not letting him get an answer in. "Was he part of the creator's group? Are you hurt?"

He looked down at me, eyes searching my face in wonder of what to answer first. "Uh. I'm alright!"

"Christ. Yeah… at least you're alright." I cringed, knowing I wasn't going to get anything out of him. I let out a sigh and for some reason tried again, unable to help myself. "What happened? Was he the enemy? What did he do?"

"Geez, I'll tell you later!" he replied. "Stop with the third degree!"

"Excuse you, dumbass, but what if he has reinforcements in here or something? We were being watched at one point."

His brows furrowed. "What?"

"We have no time to argue. We need to leave." Kurama's voice carried over to us, and I looked behind Yu to find him coming down the hall. Thank God he was alright too. "I've called the police. They're on their way."

It was then we all became aware of the ever-growing sound of sirens, and the little… strange… cooing that came from behind Kurama.

"_Puu_." There it was again. The same ugly little thing from the bus stop.

Yu looked around the hallway for the noise, and finally Kurama moved out of the way to show _two more_ surprises. Keiko and the older Kuwabara had somehow managed to find their way down to Mushiyori, no doubt in search of the boys.

"Sis!" Kuwabara knew where to focus his attention, as did Yu, who called out Keiko's name in surprise.

"How did you even get here?" Yu asked, and then looked at me.

I quickly defended myself. "I haven't talked to them in weeks!"

"Puu lead us here," Keiko said, to which Yu groaned. "He's been acting really strange since last night."

"Why can't you be more like Keiko, eh?" I reiterated Yu as I turned to him, my tone becoming exaggerated and obnoxious. "She knows not to stick her—"

"Shove it, Aiko!" he snapped

"Kazuma, what's happening here?" His sister asked.

"A whole lot of stuff—" Kuwabara replied, but was quickly cut off by Genkai.

"We have no time! You all can talk once we get out of here."

"Shit!" Yu groaned as the sirens grew louder.

Nobody had to think twice, we all began down the hallway, searching for the nearest exit. I practically skidded to a halt as a more than important thought crossed my mind.

"We need to get the security tapes!" I said, and everyone paused to think of the option, looking back at me. "I'm sure Yu and the doctor didn't have a cup of tea and talk it out!"

"I don't care if I'm on it." Yu shrugged.

"_You're_ on it!" I pointed to Kurama and then quickly realized I couldn't afford leaving the tape either. "…_I'm_ on it! Get that fucking tape! We have no idea if any Barrier officials work in the Mushiyori police! If they see Kurama, we're fucked!"

"Yeah but wouldn't that would be suspicious to take the tape?" Yu pointed out.

"Blame it on the enemy!"

Genkai snapped and began heading for the entrance again. "Make your decision."

Kurama smiled and opened his jacket, revealing a black VHS in his inner pocket. I sighed in relief.

"Let's split up," Botan offered. "Meet up at the train station. If a big group runs down the street we're bound to be stopped."

"Shizuru." I looked to the older Kuwabara, and she nodded. "Keiko, Botan, and…" I paused, looking at the old woman and wondering how to address her when I was spouting orders… Yu was her disciple. Student was to teacher as disciple was to— "_Master_ Genkai... With me?"

She blinked slowly, as if silently approving of the way I addressed her. The other girls nodded.

"Kido's staying here," Yu mentioned. "He was injured in the fight with the doctor. He needs medical attention."

"I'll stay here with him then," Kaito offered. "Make sure he's fine and cover up loose ends."

"Yana, Kurama, Yu, and Kuwabara—together," I said, waiting for them to nod.

"Get the lead out of your shoes, girls," Master Genkai snapped. "They'll raid the hospital in just less than a few minutes."

"We'll meet at the train station," Kurama said before looking to me. "Make sure to not to stray from your group."

"The only place I'd go back to is the mountain to scout around," I reassured him. "And I have a curfew, so I won't."

He stared me down, a silent regard for me to keep my word. With a deep breath, from adrenaline and prep to run, I cracked a stupid grin as a promise. So stupid… he had to repress the wry smile to mock me.

Our groups parted ways—our shoes hitting the pavement and carrying us past the cop cars. The boys stayed at a halt, waiting for us to disappear before heading out.

Never in my life could I remember looking forward to being at a train station.

* * *

**A/N:** Usually, I go off the manga. This time I decided to mix aspects of both the anime and manga. You may see me doing that from now on, so there's a little heads up.

Thanks to _YuYuHakushoObsesser_, _hollyandthediamonds_, and one guest for reviewing last chapter, and everyone who's tagged along through follows and faves! Muah.


	5. Born to Die

_**PART III. "Born to Die."**_

* * *

_"I was so confused as a little child—tried to take what I could get, scared that I couldn't find all the answers, honey."_

_— Elizabeth Woolridge Grant._

* * *

**Kurama.**

She was determined to see me home and wouldn't tell me why. I hadn't been the one in danger at the hospital, so I would have expected her to trail Yusuke home. She was surprisingly quiet during the walk, as I expected she would have asked about everyone's territories and what they could do. Instead, she opened her mouth and closed it within the same second multiple times, words lingering in her throat.

As our shoes scuffed the concrete on our way up to my front door, she didn't bother asking about territories or what happened in the hospital. That wasn't the kind of question that would be hard for her to spit out with ease. I didn't think there was such a question; my interest was piqued.

"Shouldn't you be on your way home?" I looked down to her before pulling my keys out. I knew if I spoke first, she'd try harder to change the subject in reply.

Her upper lip twitched as she glanced up to me sheepishly. "I'm going to ask you something and I'm… like I'm not trying to be rude or anything…"

This was a rare sight, one I truly relished. Usually she just asked without remorse.

I smiled down to her, trying to make the atmosphere easier for her as I pondered on what could have her so cautious.

"Like, I know you're, well… not… you know." Her eyes slanted away to concrete as she inhaled a shaky breath. "And I was wondering what you looked like." And her eyes flicked up to me. "Before this."

I paused, actually surprised. After witnessing my talent with plants, that leap up to the hospital roof was what reeled her imagination?

"It's whatever, you don't have to tell me," she said hastily, forcing a small, apologetic smile. "Just forget it."

Whatever the reason, it caused her to hesitate, be considerate.

"I was noticeably otherworldly, both when I was a spirit and when I finally took a more human form," I replied quietly, calming her anxiety. "Over seven feet tall. Long, silver hair. Ears and a tail, even."

Brows furrowed, her eyes widened as she tried placing the main descriptions together. We stood in silence on the porch as the sun touched the horizon, bathing us in a light gold.

The lock next to us clicked, and the door opened to reveal my mother. "I knew I heard voices on the other side. Did you two have fun?"

Aiko was the first to respond. "Yeah, it was a real… _adventure_!"

She pulled the door open wider before stepping outside on the porch.

"That's great," she said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I do need your advice before you head off, Aiko."

"Advice?" we asked at the same time. Aiko then continued. "But I really need to be headed home. I need to get home before it's too dark."

Mother nodded. "Oh, it'll only take a moment. You could say it's some simple fashion advice."

And with that, the girl practically sprinted into the house to take off her shoes. "Oh, Shiori, you've called upon the right person!"

My mother patted my shoulder, drawing my attention to her. As she gave me a small wink, I craned my neck around to see down the foyer's hallway to the kitchen. Hatanaka was here.

In the kitchen, we sat around the chestnut wood. Aiko hovered over the table, hands planted next to the magazines and brochures as she eyed them.

"Wait a second…" she gasped at the magazine pages my mother was showing her. "These are… _wedding decorations_?!"

Mother and Hatanaka, who sat across from the two of us, nodded simply.

"You never…" She stared blankly at my mother, eyed Hatanaka, and then glared at me. "Nobody said anything! Not even a clue was dropped. Not once did I hear a phone call to relatives or see any dates marked on calendars… No cards, no—"

"Well, it wasn't intentional to keep you in the dark," Mother said with a small smile, gesturing Aiko to sit. "Very few people know about it, about Kazuya and me dating too. Less than ten people total between our friends, excluding our families and you."

"But…" she paused and sat back in her seat, eyeing them warily. "Why?"

Hatanaka laughed. "It's because we work together—more precisely, she works under me."

"Ah." Aiko, mouth wide in understanding, nodded. "I get it. You don't want any praise or promotion Shiori receives to be seen as undeserved because you're her boss."

He nodded. "Especially since she's been climbing the ranks of the corporation since she's returned from the hospital. We've always agreed to keep our relationship quiet."

"To save face." Aiko nodded. "That's why I never heard about him before the trip to the hospital?"

Mother nodded. "We've been dating for… my, since Shuichi was twelve."

"Oh, don't think twice about it," Hatanaka said. "We made sure to keep it under tight wraps, especially in public."

"So then..." She took the magazines and looked at the center pieces my mother was asking about. "If you take his last name…"

"Luckily, our last names aren't displayed in the office," Mother laughed in relief as Aiko nodded and returned her attention to the magazines. "Besides, I've thought of transferring departments to communications. I did receive my bachelors in that after all, feels more right to work there than in accounting."

"That's always a good back-up plan if rumors start…" Aiko sifted through the pages, eyeing the colors and designs of the centerpiece. "Something for the main table?"

Mother nodded before resting her chin in her hand, leaning forward to see Aiko's decision.

"Then this one." Aiko pushed the magazine to my mother, who eyed it, scrutinized it. "Especially if you're doing all white for the reception. The colors will blend easily and it'll give you freedom for any other color you want to put in the room to pop."

"That was my second choice," Mother responded. "You sure you don't like the first? This one?"

"I heard you placed top of your class again, Shu-kun," Hatanaka said, drawing my attention from the small brunette as she took another look at the first choice.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said quickly, hoping Aiko was too busy to overhear us. "How's Shuuichi doing so far?"

"He's aiming for Tenou High," Hatanaka replied. "So he's been looking for certain extracurricular activities."

"That poor soul," Aiko gasped. "That tacky blonde uniform is an atrocity and nobody deserves to be put through that."

My mother began laughing loudly, covering her mouth. "I said the same thing!"

The two of them screamed with laughter, and Hatanaka and I sighed, giving each other tired smiles.

"No, but that's amazing he's aiming for Tenou!" Aiko quickly covered up the joke. "I heard their swimming and volleyball teams are amazing."

"He's trying to join a sports team when he should be working on his pre-calculus!" he said. "I'm all for extracurricular activities but math was never his strong point. He needs to focus on his grades too. Being good at a sport isn't likely to get you through life."

"Pre-calculus was _so_ much worse than calculus," she sighed. "I didn't believe anyone in Kino Cram when they told me calculus would be easier, but in a way they were right. The algebra is horrid but the calculus theories are so much easier. Pre-calculus has all sorts of aspects, like it reintroduces trig and even gets into physics and it's just… ugh."

"You already went through it?" he asked. "He needs a kick in the rear to get help with this."

Brown eyes flickered to me, and as she turned to face Hatanaka I saw the glimpse of a scheming smile.

"I'm hoping to go to the library tomorrow," she said. "I have some school work I need to get ahead on. It'd be no trouble if you wanted to drop him off."

"Are you going tomorrow, too, Shuichi?" Mother asked, and Aiko looked to me with a quick glance and nod.

"I suppose I am."

"Meiou's number one student and socialite both under one roof with plenty of books!" Aiko laughed. "Perfect time to study."

"Ah, I wouldn't want to impose that on you." Hatanaka waved dismissively.

"No, I think it'd be nice," I cut in.

She knew she couldn't convince her parents without some sort of obligation—one that would benefit her, such as a "study group." Bringing another name in, along with offering to let her younger brother tag along, would increase her chances of being let out of the house a third day in a row.

"Yeah, I may need to bring my little brother, though," she said, just as I expected.

"Oh, how has he been?" Mother asked. "Shuichi told me he's been going to a research facility?"

"Oh my, what a big mouth he has." Aiko flashed me a fake smile.

"Nothing compared to yours, I assure you." I returned the smile as she looked to my mother.

"Is it the one at the local children's hospital?" Hatanaka asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, they've done a lot of blood and physical tests with him and the rest of the kids to see if there was anything different about them, and compared them to a control group."

"Oh, was he one of the kids that dropped during the gas leaks?" Hatanaka gasped, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, but none of the kids were much different from the control group. Like, nothing that would raise an answer," she replied. "Luckily for a lot of kids, they ran tests that the families otherwise couldn't afford, and the doctors caught a lot of issues and diseases early."

"Is Minoru okay?" Mother asked hastily as the teapot whistled.

"He's fine, actually," Aiko reassured her as she got up to serve tea. "More than fine… eventually they ran out of physical and psychological tests to run and decided to try seemingly unrelated tests in desperation, even though they knew it wouldn't matter. They did an IQ test a few weeks ago."

Eventually the research would be dropped and labeled a mystery as they would find nothing similar between the group of kids.

"How did he do?" Mother asked excitedly as she served everyone warm cups of tea.

Aiko laughed nervously, wrapping her fingers around the cup slowly. "He scored a hundred and thirty."

"How old is he?!" Hatanaka balked.

"He's in grade school!" she laughed, but it sounded scared. "Like… if he's not watching _Saburomaru! The Great Detective!_ he's watching some documentary. If he's not reading comics he's looking through my old textbooks…"

"That's amazing! Oh, my, Aiko. He has so much potential—colleges scout for students like him!" Mother clasped her hands together, smiling bright. "Think of how he'll be by your age!"

"His social skills are so subpar though, like he acts younger than he is," she laughed dryly, staring down into her cup. "And, like, he's popular because he was one of the kids that dropped but he only has two real friends. All he really has are his books and shows."

"An academic scholarship!" Hatanaka cheered. "If he stays on track, he could get a full ride anywhere."

"Yeah… that'd be great." She took a sip from her cup. "That's what we're hoping for… a scholarship for a full ride to a prestigious college that hundreds of thousands of other geniuses are applying for."

There was a brief air of silence before the subject was adjusted.

"...Either of you thought about where you want to go for college?" Hatanaka asked. "It's your second year."

"I'm still deciding," she replied quickly, pushing Hatanaka's eyes on me.

"As am I," I said.

"I should get going. I have a curfew." She stood up and hiked her purse over her shoulder before Hatanaka could open his mouth. "The tea was delicious, Shiori. Thanks." She then nodded to Hatanaka. "It was nice to see you again, Hatanaka."

Mother checked the watch on her wrist as Hatanaka looked to the window, finding the setting sun to be just a sliver on the horizon now. The sky above was dark, blending into what little light was left in the sky.

"Oh, you did say you had to be back before dark, didn't you? Do you want me to drive you?" Mother offered.

"No!" she said quickly and then laughed again. "It's fine. I'll make it back in time." She then turned to me. "Uh, I was out all weekend so I'll just call you if my dad doesn't let me go to the library. Would you mind telling Hatanaka?"

"Here," Hatanaka said, pulling a pen out of his shirt pocket. He reached for a small notepad Mother had used for decoration notes and ripped off a clean sheet. "Here's my number. Just feel free to call when you know you can or can't go!"

She took the number and bowed to Mother and Hatanaka. "Thanks for having me over!"

She left the house so fast it left my mother and her fiancé stunned, not even giving them a chance to get up from their seats to usher her out.

"Did… we say something wrong?" Mother asked me, to which I shook my head.

"Her father is just mad at her for staying out all weekend, Mother," I reassured her. "Don't worry; she just had to be home."

"Shame, I didn't get to show her this." Hatanaka dug in his slacks' pocket, pulling out a creased, folded piece of notebook paper. "Shiori mentioned she'd probably be over today so I brought this."

I took the paper and noted the dirty shoe prints before unfolding it. It was a sketch of Mother and Hatanaka in the hospital. My mother lay in the hospital bed, smiling to Hatanaka as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the hospital sheets sheepishly.

It was done in pencil, and the lead was smudged and faded around the lines as it was old. There were shoe prints on the inside as well, one planted directly atop the couple.

"I thought it'd be a nice conversation starter with her," he said. "Remind her of this and compliment her on it. She draws so well."

I never saw this drawing, but I knew when it was created. She never boasted about her art the way she did when she would pass a test, it was almost sad to see her shove it aside as a hobby when she could recreate another person so thoroughly in just a rough sketch.

If they had brought up the subject of her art instead of college then she'd definitely be here still.

"Ah, also, Shuichi," Mother said, dragging my attention from her penciled face to her flesh. "Would you mind skipping club and cram on Monday? Kazuya is headed out to Osaka for an important business meeting soon to discuss a cooperative marketing agreement, so we were thinking of having a good luck dinner celebration."

I set the drawing in the middle of the table. "Of course."

Their conversation returned to one of work and their wedding. Their words buzzed into the background as I stared into the cup of steaming green tea. I wondered how I would be able to disrupt their lives—how Aiko would go about it.

I trusted her to find a way; I had no doubt she would come through. But that didn't mean I wouldn't find a way to convince them to go to the States.

* * *

**Aiko.**

Hirogawa didn't ask much about what I did at the mansion, he seemed to think the fact I was alive was good enough. I spent most of my shift on the register, staring at my index finger when I wasn't ringing someone up. I actually missed the tacky, gaudy ring.

I was totally trigger-happy wearing that thing. The idea that I could do what Yu did on a regular basis, the idea I could grow spiritually like that was… exciting. I almost wished I had a ring of my own, or something cuter… not that I'd ever need to use it.

Minoru came in handy as I expected. After I offered to take him to the library where he could read anything he wanted while I was there, he hassled my dad to take him. Of course, my father wasn't in the mood to spend time at a library.

I told my father that I wanted to go to a study group. He was far from convinced, which lead to Minoru taking on a new role in the family as my dad dropped us off at the local library after my nine to five shift.

Minoru wasn't just a little brother anymore; he was a punk ass snitch.

I knew it would turn to this, but I didn't know just how seriously Minoru would take his new role.

My dad's spy, there to watch over me and make sure I was doing school work and not goofing off like the douchebag he thought I was. The consequences of Minoru covering for me weighed more greatly than the consequences of snitching on me.

I would beat Minoru's ass into the twenty-first century but my dad's anger and post-beat down passive aggression was enough to make the most egotistical person hate themselves.

Luckily, it looked like I was doing a project of some sort, and Hatanaka's son asking me to for help on schoolwork only gave the impression that I was actually putting my brain to use for school.

I met Hatanaka, Shuuichi, before, but we never really talked. We met just as I was leaving the Minamino household one late winter day.

When addressing Kurama, he was careful with his words though definitely still friendly, but when addressing me he was more casual. I couldn't help but wonder how cold Kurama was to the poor boy when their parents started dating. I remembered how distant he was with me and I figured this boy was no exception to his cold shoulder.

Twenty minutes into the "study session", Minoru quit watching me like a hawk. He also stopped with the obnoxious "Hey, that doesn't sound like studying! I'm telling dad!" once he became more invested in his comic.

A myriad of books were strewn across the table, and it was really my mess. Shuuichi sat next to me, munching on a box of strawberry Pocky I shoplifted as he worked on his pre-calculus. Among the books were two shopping bags worth of snacks I lifted from the market. Everyone was eating something, even Kurama—hell, even me.

I shoved the last forkful of Chicken Caesar Salad in my mouth as I skimmed through the open book in front of me. Found it.

"Makihara Nature Conservation Area." I slid the book across the table to Kurama.

He had his head rested on his hand, leisurely reading another book—one much smaller than mine.

"Are you even looking?" I asked, covering my full mouth with my free hand.

"Hm?" He looked up from his text slowly, giving me a small, innocent smile that really meant he wasn't innocent at all.

"You're not even looking," I said, baffled. "What have you been doing all this time?"

He reached into the small can of roasted wasabi peas. "Reading about the features of Makihara's Nature Conservation."

"Couldn't throw me a hint that you already knew?"

"You're doing so well, though," he replied simply.

I was ready to yank that ponytail right off his head…

"Don't patronize me."

"The area spans two thousand acres," he said.

I stared blankly at him.

"Shuichi, Shuichi!" Minoru whispered to the red-head he sat next to. "Look!"

He leaned over to see what my brother wanted, letting his ponytail brush over his shoulder as he read the comic panels quickly. Chewing the roasted wasabi peas, he hummed patiently, feigning interest in Minoru's excitement. *****

"Hojo," Shuuichi whispered to me and I turned to him, eyes unable to drag away from the book I was staring at until the last second. "I forgot what you said about finding the period. I'm going to fail when we get to this in class."

Negative three cosine two pi _x_ minus two…

"Uh…" I whispered as I stared down at the equation, trying to remember my pre-calculus year. I dragged my fingers through my hair, pulling it over my shoulder. "Okay… Okay! Remember that it's always two pi over whatever's with x or theta."

He stared down at his equation. "So it _is_ one!"

"It's two pi x…" I reread the equation again and nodded. "Yeah. That should be one. You're doing fine. You'll be fine when you get here in class."

"It was so simple an answer I thought I got it wrong," he laughed. I paused, hoping I wasn't wrong.

"Sis! Sis!" Minoru whispered across the table. "Look!"

I waved him off, ignoring him. "If it's part of the comic then I don't care right now. You can show me later."

"You can look, I won't tell dad you're not studying," he whined, voice raising.

"Quiet!" I hissed. "And it's not that. I just don't care about whatever comic you're reading."

He huffed and returned his attention to the book.

Kurama flipped the page of his book leisurely as I shoved through my small stacked collection. There were two caves in Makihara Nature Conservation Area. Irima and Musashi.

Both were so long, winding, and deep, that neither of them were fully explored. Due to the nature and natural design of each cave, researchers had to be careful and tedious, so surveying has taken years.

"What have you found so far?" I asked.

"Makihara Nature Conservation Area is also home to a very rare flower," he replied simply.

Are you fucking kidding me, Kurama?

I leaned over the table, whispering. "If you're not here to patronize me, then why?"

He glanced up to me, smile turning innocent to wry instantly. "Because if I let you get started and on track, you'll find the answer."

"…Making me do the grunt work."

He shook his head with a small laugh. "No."

I was baffled. He was so relaxed. From his clothing—light sweater with the sleeves rolled up casually—to his posture—elbow on the table, face rested in hand. And there I was with books and maps strewn around me, covering every visible inch of the library's table. My headband, keeping my hair out of my face, was threatening to fall off with how I bent over books to read, and my eyes were beginning to hurt. My head was already pounding and we were only a little over a half hour in.

"There are two caves in the area," I said quietly, breathing through gritted teeth to calm my irritation. "Irima and Musashi."

"Which do you think it resides in?" he asked simply, flipping to the next page. "Here they are."

He set the book down in front of me, and I dragged mine next to it. I scanned the information the two books held, which were relatively the same between the authors.

"Something that would deter people from researching it at this time, or make the trek down into the depths of the cave unappealing," Kurama said quietly.

"Both of them still haven't been fully explored," I said, and he nodded.

Maybe Kaito was right… maybe they weren't in the caves… but then, how else could they get underground if not in a cave? Maybe some sewer-line? Maybe there was another cave entrance on the other side of Mushiyori—Kurama did mention it spanned over two thousand acres.

Sewer line was unrealistic but… right now the caves seemed unrealistic too.

"Which means they're both enticing for researchers. Then we should think more of…" He then paused. His eyes shifted to his right, towards the staircase that led to the first floor, and then he stood. "I am not here."

What? Who could it be?

I eyed the staircase across the floor, worried it would be the spawn of Satan herself as she was the only one who could clear him from a room. I'd avoid anyone who wanted to ship me to Makai. Better safe than sorry.

Luckily it was only Natsume's dog: Fukui, Hitomi.

I turned to the two boys that were left in my company.

"Shuichi doesn't like her, so don't say he's here." The two boys nodded, attention kept on their books. I leaned towards Minoru and hissed. "I mean it."

"Okay!" Minoru whined, somehow still remembering to stay quiet.

I eyed him briefly before turning back to see the ebony-haired Rapunzel. She didn't see me as she walked down the open aisle, looking at the directory plaques. It wasn't until she felt someone staring her down that she noticed me. She was slightly surprised. Her eyebrows sprung up under her fringe and her eyes widened briefly.

Pushing her long hair off her shoulder, it fluttered in the wind she created as she made her way to me.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you in a library," she noted, stepping up to our table. She carried a sort of sad, dry... cold air with her.

"I could say the same about you." I stood up from my seat, eyeing her features.

Compared to her atmosphere, she looked warm with her face painted in earth-tones. She was cozy in her thick jacket and denim jeans.

"Babysitting?" She nodded to the boys behind me.

"Kind of," I said with a shrug. "I'm just doing research for… an ecology project. Why did you come down from Tohoku?"

"I'm visiting my father for the weekend, and decided I could hang out here while I waited for him since he just transferred planes in Hokkaido. I have a psychology paper to write—how we see and treat the environment, and why. Figured I could find some titles here."

Kurama had surely figured this out by now but I was still left in the dark. "Natsume here?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly before eyeing the books behind me. "No. She'll be here in a couple of days. We're going on a trip."

I repressed a scoff.

_Another sick tournament? _I wanted to ask, but instead, I noticed her eye movement. I hesitated as she read the print behind me, and I knew her vision was fine as it was. It didn't help the title of the page was in large, bold letters.

"Shuuichi, why don't you take Minoru to the bathroom?" I asked, eyes locked on Fukui.

Shuuichi hesitated behind me while Minoru complained. "I don't have to go pee!"

Fukui's face tensed as she began piecing information together. I searched her face, watching the cogs in her mind turn.

"We're going to be here a while," I replied calmly.

Minoru grumbled and Shuuichi did as I asked, taking the kid by the hand and leading him down the aisle. I could feel Shuuichi's eyes on me, wary that I didn't like her either. Minoru surprisingly didn't remark how he'd tell on me to dad.

I trusted she waited until they were out of sight to whisper. "Taken a sudden interest in Mushiyori, huh?"

My arms found their way across my chest. "Yup."

"How convenient."

I wasn't surprised Border Patrol was notified. In fact, I shouldn't be keeping this a secret from her, should I? Couldn't she help? Maybe they were doing their own separate research?

"Does Reikai know you're working on this?" she asked.

"No, I volunteered to help with the book work while the detective is on foot in the city. Is Border Patrol doing anything?"

"_Border Patrol _is awaiting information." She shrugged. "I guess you're the one who will be gathering it. So no. They won't do anything until you turn information in and it's validated."

I paused, noticing her word. "'They'? I thought you were part of Reikai."

"I am but…" she hesitated, choosing her diction wisely. "I only have certain clearances with _Border Patrol_."

"Unlike Natsume?"

She walked next to me, stopping at the edge of the table and looking at the two books that lay open. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. What if she goes back to Tohoku and tells Natsume what we found and then she rushes down there causing trouble?

Wouldn't it be better for Border Patrol to take care of this, though? Why was it Yu's and everyone else's responsibility? Where was the glorious Special Defense Force that had such big problems to handle?

Was an apocalypse not a big problem?

Still, Yu was just as invested as anyone else at this point. It almost felt wrong to hand off information to Border Patrol and let them take over when I knew Yu wanted to be the one to handle this.

"Are you going to tell Natsume what we have so far?" I asked.

She shifted next to me, leaning her weight on one leg. "You're going to send this in to Reikai, right?"

"Yeah, that's the point."

"Then no."

Was she lying? Why would she lie?

I eyed her, suspicion more than clear on my features as she stared back, expressionless. "Don't trust me?"

"Trust you as much as I do any man."

She blinked once, then twice, before turning her eyes back to the thick book that showed Irima Cave's picture.

"It'd be pointless for me to tell her unfinished information, something that hasn't been run by and validated by officials," she said, fingers leisurely tracing the edge of the book. "That could send us on a wild goose chase if what you find is wrong."

It sounded reasonable enough but I still couldn't shake the feeling of distrust. "I don't want Natsume to know I'm working on this."

"The last thing I'm going to do is bring your name up to her. I hear your name enough from her as it is."

I could feel the corner of my lips tugging up. Even now I was still in her head. "Good or bad?"

She shrugged, pinched the page and lifted it, and quickly scanned the next. "I'd take anything out of her mouth to be bad no matter how good her intentions."

"One more question." Best to ask someone whose father just opened a gigantic building that went underground, right?

She grunted, laying the page back where it was.

"Does anything span underneath Mushiyori?"

Her head whipped around, and when her gaze settled on me it turned into a heavy stare.

My eyebrow rose with interest. "I take it something does?"

Her features softened, relaxed. "No."

"Quite a reaction for 'no'."

"Because I thought you were on to something," she replied, letting the page fall back in place. "Mushiyori's only underground systems are the sewers and train, and potential tunnels of the caves that haven't been mapped."

"Yeah, sewer lines aren't big enough to open a tunnel that magnitude, huh…" I mumbled to myself at the information. I turned to the book again, skimming through the text. "Someone would have seen a portal when they passed by in a train…"

I trailed off, still upset that it may not be in the cave. It had to be, that was all that was left… but Kaito's words still sulked in the back of my mind.

"Actually, I should just wait at the airport," she said suddenly, and I watched her hike the strap of her purse tighter on her shoulder.

I nodded, not having much to say anyway. I wanted to ask if I could trust her not to say anything, but if she was as I remembered her—an asshole—then she just might rat the information to Natsume out of spite.

She turned and began walking away.

"Travel safe," I bid farewell, albeit forced.

Light-footed steps stopped, her back still facing me. After a second, she spoke. "I won't tell her."

"No offense." All offense. "But I'm not keen on trusting your word."

"I'd rather her find out where the tunnel is last-minute than tell her you have leads, right or wrong."

My brows practically touched in the midst of my confusion. I shouldn't have said anything, but I wanted to be sure.

"The later you tell her, the more likely she is to rush down when the tunnel is about to open, when more youkai are let loose. You could be maimed or killed, you know."

"I kind of want it that way." She shifted, turning slightly on one foot to glance over her shoulder, bringing a thick atmosphere with her. The same coldness wafted around her, traveled towards me, brushing my cheeks and neck as it sauntered by. "We deserve to die."

She turned away from me and continued her leave, letting the heaviness sit with me. I stayed put, leaning on the edge of the table as Kurama appeared behind me, having exited his hiding spot among the many aisles the moment she stepped down the stairs out of sight.

I waited to speak, unsure. "'We' as in her, Natsume, and Hayashi?"

And he immediately entered with the follow-up question. "Or 'we' as in humanity?"

The two of us stood in silence, unsure of how to take her comment. Was she part of the tunnel scheme?

"No, she just hates herself," I whispered to him, knowing he was analyzing her words as I was. "Natsume has a way of doing that to you."

I could only wonder how living with Natsume out in Tohoku was for her.

"Are you guys done talking?" Shuuichi reappeared, peaking past the bookshelf.

"Did you hear what we talked about?" I asked, looking over my shoulder.

He shook his head, letting go of Minoru's hand so the younger boy could walk back to the table and sit down. "I saw her leaving down the main aisle and thought it was fine to come back."

"Yeah, we're done."

Shuuichi took his seat as Kurama rounded the table, handing me another book along the way. I noticed Minoru seemed upset, setting his comic book on the table with a sort of gentleness when he usually could be seen slapping it on the table as he plopped in his chair.

"Why don't you like her, Shuichi?" Shuuichi asked, prompting Kurama's eyes to land on him, and then briefly to me. "She's really pretty and looks nice. Is she mean?"

I shrugged.

The red-head then took his seat, giving a strange, simple smile. "I'd just rather not be around her at all."

It wasn't necessarily Fukui but the fact she was associated with Natsume.

Shuuichi's brows furrowed but he shrugged to himself and then turned back to his pre-calculus booklet.

"So it has to be a cave," I said, whispering hastily. "Sewer-lines are too small, someone would notice it going by in a train…"

"Of course it's in a cave," he said calmly. "You were right the first time."

"Yeah, but… what Kaito said is right. It's not smart to plant something there of all places."

"He may be right." He tapped the open book and drew my attention to the pages once more. "But that doesn't mean you're wrong."

My eyes traveled up his arm to his face, patient and calm. He was never patronizing me; he trusted me to do what I could. He trusted I'd find the right answer.

I grabbed the first open book and read quietly, summarizing the information after each paragraph.

Musashi cave. The entrance was a long drop of roughly two kilometers before hitting flatland. Once one hit flatland, the cave twisted and turned in its path. The cave was riddled with stalagmites and stalactites and other small openings on the ground that could lead to small tunnels used by animals. ******

All the technical stuff wasn't doing much for me, but I had to take it into consideration.

I moved to Irima, scanning through the details. Sloped walkway, easy access, few stalagmites or stalactites, many dangerously sloped tunnels, a river…

"If we're talking about practicality, then weaving through serious rock formations would be a hassle," Kurama said, having been reading my text upside down.

"But if we wanted security then the more rock formations, the harder it'll be for people to stumble upon their tunnel…" I sighed before leaning on the table in frustration.

"That drop in Musashi isn't convenient if he has humans like the doctor working for him," he noted.

"What else is there besides technical stuff?" I grumbled. "Surely that can't be all there is to picking a cave."

"It must also be related to the season," he said, cupping his chin pensively as he brought up an old point. "One of them must not be interesting enough in order to keep researchers away for a season."

"Schools will still go for field trips, like middle and high school," I mumbled the old counter, standing up. "I'm going to see if there's any other text on them."

He nodded in acknowledgement and I passed by the aisles. I didn't feel like scanning through titles anymore, my head was beginning to really hurt. I'd ask the librarian.

Heading to the woman behind the counter on the first floor, I waited patiently for her to acknowledge me as she shuffled through some obscure paperwork and index cards. I watched lazily as small strands of salt and pepper colored hair loosened and fell from her bun until she finally looked up at me with small, beady eyes.

"Oh, hello, dear," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I noticed her wrinkled hands. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you have anything on the Musashi and Irima caves in Mushiyori?" I asked.

"Hm…" She tapped her full lips with her index finger and then went to get up. As her hands gripped the armrest of her office chair, she paused. "Oh, for Irima, would you like books or periodicals?"

Periodical?!

"Newspaper, please," I replied and waited patiently as she wrote down the information I needed.

She handed me a small sheet of notepad paper.

She then got up to search the index cards for Musashi, but I stopped her before she could walk even two steps. "It's fine, I'll be back for Musashi if these periodicals don't work out."

"But those are just ones I remembered just off the top of my head," she called after me as I jogged away. "You sure you don't want more…?"

I didn't think much of her comment as I dug through the microfiche machine, but what I saw made absolute sense. As I hurriedly carried the hard copies to our table, controlling myself from running, Kurama's gaze lifted from his book to me.

The corners of his lips tugged upwards, telling me we both found something.

"You first!" I smiled before running into the corner of the table and wincing.

He waited patiently for me to stop groaning in pain to tell me. Picking up a new book he spent his time reading leisurely, he flipped to a certain page.

"Surveying and cartography dates are schedule by landowners, the Makihara's. Updates in the deep tunnels are then recorded for public record—" He gestured the book to me before setting it down. "By the same group of researchers. So the tunnel had to have begun after their latest survey. From the most recent survey that's been published, no new organisms, aquatic or terrestrial, were recorded."

He picked up another book, referencing another point, and I leaned in close to skim through the text. I found a list of plant names italicized.

"But from what's been recorded, I've found that any noteworthy plants need a damper, warmer climate to thrive and flower, especially what's been found closer to the entrance."

The summer.

"So really, it has nothing interesting until May, just like you thought," I mumbled. "That's another month away."

"Even then, students years one through twelve will still attend a field trip to a cave like this—even in the colder weather," he said, setting the book down next to the other. "Just because the same organisms and plants are nothing new to a scientist doesn't mean they can't be interesting to eager youth. And, unless you've found something, Musashi still hasn't been taken off the table."

I smiled down to Kurama, unable to keep it from being smugly proud. "It's definitely off the table now."

He remained quiet, wearing an expectant smile as I took the newspaper hard copies out from under my arm. I slapped the first one down in front of him and grinned.

"Irima's Cave is known for suicides!"

He picked up the hard copy, skimming it. "So you're saying…"

"It's taboo to go to a site like that," I whispered, leaning towards him. "You don't bring kids to a site like this. Look. Students from year two to year twelve, and then even kids in higher education, won't step near the place. Hell, I've even found a testimony saying delinquents don't step foot near it."

I set the hard copies on the table and flipped for the most recent one, dated one year ago. I found the paragraph I was looking for after less than a minute of skimming. Shuuichi's voice could be heard behind us in quiet whispers.

"Miyagi, Junko, a year nine student at Tsukino Public Junior High commented on the recent suicide at Irima cave," I read aloud in a whisper. I read along with him in my head.

_She said upon interview, "A lot of us are scared of that cave so this news isn't surprising. Some people even say it's haunted, cursed. My parents, who have lived here all their lives, mentioned that they can count on both their hands combined the amount of suicides they've heard about in Irima Cave. My teacher scheduled our geology field trip to a cave in another city because the cave unnerves even him."_

"And she's not the only student," I said, sifting through the newspapers. "I've found kids as young as seven and college students as old as twenty-one with testimonies like this. Nobody goes there, it's taboo."

"They picked a 'cursed' cave and managed to schedule their tunnel around the survey dates, which aren't listed until publication for records."

He picked up the book again and skimmed through what few dates were listed. I leaned over his shoulder as he flipped through the records, reading the dates along with him... There were no real patterns except for maybe good weather, but even then the dates were random.

He glanced up to me, forest green eyes meeting mine as we the reality hit us. Whispers left our lips at the same time. "A Makihara works with them."

"Coupling all this information with Reikai's…" He stared down at the newspapers and though he wasn't smiling, I could see the satisfaction in his face. "We've found the tunnel's location."

I fist pumped the air so hard my arm could have rightfully flown out of its socket. I plopped down in my seat, a weight lifted off my shoulder.

"The assignment is finished!" I cheered, leaning back in the chair.

In the still air of the library, we exchanged glances once more, his of lingering satisfaction and mine of beaming pride.

"We make a good team, don't you think?" I winked.

He breathed a quick laugh. "Meiou's number one student and socialite under one roof."

"We should do this more often. It was fun," I offered jokingly, to which he quickly replied.

"Under similar circumstances."

I watched him begin to organize the table, gathering the books and straighten the newspapers, as I felt my smile turn into a full-blown, cheek-hurting grin.

"After this, I wouldn't have it any other way."

He adjusted the copies with a fleeting smile, and then, just as I was about to ask if he would turn the information in, he spoke.

"Mother and Hatanaka are having dinner tomorrow, and Shuuichi and I need to go. I'll drop by Reikai the day after tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we turn it in as soon as possible? Go tonight." I couldn't remember the last time I was this satisfied with an accomplishment.

"We were just there," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "When we turn it in, Koenma will tell Yusuke, who will go down there to handle it immediately. They're expecting us. The less security, the better."

I nodded, watching him as he continued cleaning up. He gathered the books into a few piles and gathered any stray boxes or cans to put back in the bag.

If anyone knew how to plan an attack, it was someone who experienced battle many times before. I remembered the tournament and stared at him quietly. He paused, staring down at my brother next to him in surprise.

"Uh… Hojo?" Shuuichi's voice snapped me out of it. I turned to the boy with the bowl-cut to find him pointing sheepishly at my little brother across the table. "Minoru's… uh. Crying. He's been crying for a few minutes now."

I looked to my little brother, finding his face soaked and his nose dribbling snot. His shoulders shook as he kept his mouth clamped shut. His lips were pursed tight and the skin around them puffed out, holding in all the loud cries that were bound to break through soon.

"I tried talking to him but he won't open his mouth," Shuuichi whispered.

"What's wrong, Minoru?" My eyes flickered to Kurama's and we locked gazes briefly.

With the slight furrow of my brows, I asked silently if he overheard us, but with Kurama's calm gaze I figured he shouldn't have.

"She died." Minoru's lips broke open to cry, voice breaking too.

Tears fell down his face like water out a broken dam as I stared at him in shock. "Who?"

He sniffed again, and again harder, until I got up and leaned over the table toward him.

"Who?" I asked again. "Who died?"

I couldn't make out the name as he whined it through his cries. It was unfamiliar… Then it clicked.

"Fucking Christ. From your comic book? Get over it, Minoru," I said, rolling my eyes as I sat in my seat.

As we worked in silence, Minoru's crying could still be heard. It dragged on tirelessly, even when Kurama tidied up the books and hard copies and when I gathered all the trash in the paper bag. When I grabbed the empty can of roasted wasabi peas, I was totally, one hundred and ten percent done. I too was invested in my comics and I would be just as upset—but not in public, not around other people like this.

"It was just a comic book character!" I hissed, throwing the can in the shopping bag. "I get attached to them too but _Christ_, Minoru."

"It's not just that…" he cried and then sniffed. "She… I just keep thinking… what could she have thought before she died? Before his web caught her and her neck snapped?"

I froze in shock, staring down at the boy. He was _way_ too young to think something like that. He'd reacted like this to character deaths before, but had never said something like that to me. Ever.

I knew the thought process, and it shouldn't have been something reeling around in his head. That kind of thought process came when you were fourteen years old and finished the latest issue and rolled over in bed, late at night, stoned righteously out of your mind and were one with your blankets and pillows. Not when you were six years old at a library surrounded by... text books and junk food.

"Come… come here," I said gently, gesturing for him to sit in my lap.

He got up and rounded the table, still crying. Sitting in my lap, he pressed his snot-dribbled face into my cream top and I repressed the urge to shove his face in the desk.

"Did she think he would save her?" he cried, and I stared at Kurama in shock, numb and dumbfounded about how to reply. He stared back, watching Minoru with interest. Even Shuuichi was worried about him. "Do you think she thought he was going to save her like he did everyone? Was she happy and didn't care about falling to the water because she thought he'd save him?"

"Yeah…" I replied, smoothing his hair. "I bet she was happy. I bet she was reassured."

"That's good, right?" he asked, pulling his face out of my top. "That's good even though he didn't make it? She was happy so it's… better than if she was scared?"

I swear to god if he stained my shirt…

"That's what you're aiming for if you die when you're awake," I said slowly, calmly, trying to talk sweet enough to soothe him. "That you're happy, you know? No regrets."

"I hope I'm happy when I die," he said, resting his head against my chest with a sigh. "I hope my last thought is a happy thought."

Though I was glad he took the talk with ease and simplicity, it almost unnerved me with how well he was accepting of death. Maybe being around Yu made him see it in a different light...

I glanced to Kurama again, watching him stare back with a poised expression to keep face.

I set my hand in my brother's hair, gently petting him, soothing him. I replied without much thought. "Yeah, Minoru… me too. We all do."

"It's getting late," Kurama said quietly, and I noticed the telltale evening lighting filtering through the windows. "We should get you both home."

I nodded, looking down at Minoru as he rested his head against my chest, breath hot and heavy and snot dribbling down his face still.

"Let's not rent those comics, okay?" I patted his back, and he didn't respond. "We'll go home and watch Saburomaru."

Shuuichi smiled to Minoru, leaning over in his seat. "Hey! It'll be fine; we'll pick up ice cream before we drop you off at home!"

He replied with an eager, refreshing smile to Shuuichi's offer, and I felt myself retreating inwardly, mentally. The way his mind worked burrowed itself in the back of mine, reminding me of a future ultimatum I'd be forced to make.

* * *

**A/N:**

*** **_Wasabi_ is like a spicy condiment, often seen as a paste (or like a dust?) smeared on things like roasted pea.

**** **2 kilometers is roughly 1.2 miles.

Thanks to _YuYuHakushoObsesser,_ _hollyandthediamonds, _and a guest for reviewing last chapter, and thanks to everyone who's followed and faved. Hearing from people always makes me feel so much better about the chapters I put out. Muah.


	6. Fade to Black

**A/N:** I was originally listening to The Misfits when writing but I felt if I wanted to capture the feel of the concert I should dip into some Metallica. Granted, the only concerts I've been to were for underground, unsigned hardcore punk bands at local, small-time venues or biker bars. Sometimes the bands on the bill would sound like Metallica or have some similarities.

Also, I'm coming to terms with my inability to be brief by reminding myself I write everything for a reason...

Thanks to _YuYuHakushoObsesser_, _hollyandthediamonds_, _LadyEllesmere_, _OhhTaylorJade,_ and a guest for reviewing, and everyone who's followed and faved. Feedback makes me so happy. Muah.

* * *

**Aiko.**

"Pleasepleasepleaseplease."

With skeptical eyes, he looked over the few red markings on the quiz sheet. His lips puckered in thought as he shuffled through the sheets.

I was scared, my nerves on end. I figured if I just kept talking I wouldn't be able to stop and back out. "Pleasepleasepleaseplease."

He spread them out on the kitchen counter and stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Bring home exams like this," he said pointedly.

"Ple—I haven't had an exam yet!" I protested. "And when I do, I will! Look, that's promise of me picking up my scores! I can't half-ass a quiz! Trust me, I've tried."

Exhausted from working over-time, he sighed and leaned back on the table, resting his stubbled chin in his hand. I could tell he was only entertaining me and then would shoot me down. Except he didn't know what I was going to ask yet...

"What did you say you wanted to do on a _Tuesday night_?"

I hesitated. "Well, since I did so well on all these quizzes I was hoping I could go out and have some well-deserved fun—"

"Just fucking spit it out, Aiko." He rolled his eyes.

He didn't bother asking whether I worked tomorrow night, and I was glad for that since I didn't want to tell him I asked for the night off a few weeks ago.

With one deep breath, I spat the words out as fast I could so I wouldn't be able to retrieve them. "IwantedtogototheMegallicaconcertatthepavillion."

He blinked twice, stared at me for a moment, and then cocked his head to the side. "You're fucking with me, right?"

"No." I stared back.

Though I was faltering, I tried my hardest to keep a straight face. I knew bringing this up would create a nasty atmosphere and it was brewing quickly. I could feel the heat around us, between us, created by our emotions and festering the ugly air.

Now he was interested. This wasn't considered progress to him like it was for me, but I'd brought that upon myself years ago.

The only sound in the room with us was the show Minoru left on the TV before heading to my room twenty minutes ago. A rerun of _Saburomaru_! had just ended, and the rolling credits were becoming louder and louder as I waited anxiously.

He leaned forward with a more than dubious look on his face and the ending credits fuzzed away quickly. "So, you want to go to a Megallica concert."

I nodded stiffly.

"A concert that has hundreds of people. Hundreds of grown men."

Again, albeit slowly, I nodded. He sneered briefly, dredging up our past in silence, before giving me a mocking smile, one of anger.

"Yeah, you know what? You want to go? Go ahead. Go." He crossed his arms over his chest, nodding to me. Then the smile disappeared when I didn't reply. "But let's get two things straight."

I waited for him to speak. I could feel the sentence coming out of his mouth before it really left his lips.

"One. Don't you fucking _dare_ call me to save you halfway through the night. You're on your own." And even though I saw those words coming, they still cut deep. I felt the sting in the bridge of my nose, my eyes began to burn. "Two. I don't care how fucking late you stay out, you could not come home for all I care, but I for sure know your ass will be in school before that first bell rings. And I'll know it will be because I'll call and check."

"It will," I mumbled, feeling a headache from repressed anger emerging. "I wasn't planning on taking a day off tomorrow…"

He stared down at me, lips pursed to repress the sneer he wanted to express. I lowered my eyes to the counter, desperately wanting to leave but not wanting to look anymore ashamed than I really was.

"Get in your room and study," he said dismissively, shoving the quizzes across the counter at me.

With a heavy heart and a heavier sigh, I took the quizzes and then reached for the fruit bowl on the counter. Taking a couple of apples, I hurried down the hall as I heard the front door open, signaling my moms arrival.

I shoved the evening my dad referred to away, buried it back in the depths of my brain.

As I entered my room, lit by the yellow light from the lamp on the desk, I felt the headache push against my eyes. I felt the sting in the bridge of my nose build, the hot tears well up.

With a deep breath and a heavy sniff, I gently wiped under my waterline and stared up at the ceiling to let the tears fall back inside.

Minoru sat in the middle of the floor with one of my textbooks, and I dug through my satchel to find another subject to work on. Sitting at my desk, I stared blankly at a picture of a blastula, unable to push away my emotions. I stayed silent so Minoru wouldn't know to turn around and ask what was wrong.

* * *

**Kazuma.**

I looked away from the dark, overhanging clouds to Urameshi when I heard his voice again.

"That bastard Kamiya knew about the hole and was still willing to open it regardless," Urameshi said, biting into his melon bread as he talked about the doctor.

"So… they all know what they're doing? Like, they're not brainwashed?" I asked, biting the mouth of my taiyaki. *****

"Yup." He talked with his mouth full.

What?! The hell is wrong with these people?

"I can't wrap my head around that!" I groaned.

"That humans want to destroy humanity?"

"Yeah, what the hell?"

He shrugged. "Well, we have two weeks left to find the creator of the tunnel otherwise they get what they want."

I just couldn't get it. Yeah, there were bad people in the world that had a lot coming to them, but to take out all humanity with them? Even the ones opening the tunnel were going to die! Dealing with youkai was no joke if you were a human, and then to let a whole bunch of A-class and up youkai come through? The Elder Toguro was already a handful at the tournament—chills ran down my spine thinking of having to deal with a bunch of youkai just as strong as him.

These people were A-class psychos!

My grumbling was cut short when Botan's voice came out of nowhere. "Yusuke, it's terrible!"

Well, I knew that since I could see her she brought her human body to meet us. I could feel a strange presence when she was a ghost; there was an eerie, cold feeling that hovered around me when she was waiting for her body. But I still couldn't see her. I wondered when I'd get my reiki back to functioning.

She pushed the door to the roof open, scanning the roof for us in Sarayashiki's school girl uniform.

"Botan? What's wrong?" He shoved the rest of his bread in his mouth as she raced towards us.

"It's opening in a _week!"_ she shouted, setting the briefcase down in front of us as Yusuke choked on the bread.

I found myself spitting out bits of bean paste in surprise. She opened the briefcase, showing a black screen that I would otherwise be able to see Koenma on.

"Just the other day you said we had two weeks!" Urameshi argued.

"Just listen to Koenma!" Botan snapped, pushing Urameshi's eyes to the black, quiet screen.

Seconds passed, and Urameshi's face continued to get more disgruntled by the minute. What was I missing? This losing-my-reiki thing really blowed.

"What's going on, Urameshi?!" I snapped. "Come on, explain it to me! I can't hear or see a thing."

"Uh…" He grimaced as he looked towards me. "I don't understand it either. It's a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo."

Dumbfounded, I stared him down. "What."

"Look, all I know is we've only got one week left! He said the tunnel's being made underground, so I'm thinking the sewers."

"Why the sewers?" I questioned. "Wouldn't we have felt it more in the city then? Kurama led us to a mountain. Aiko said it was most likely in a cave."

Urameshi paused and eyed the black screen. "I never thought I'd say this but thank God for Aiko. The tunnel's in a big cave on the outskirts of the city."

I nodded. Sounded about right.

"Good, we know where it is so we can go take care of it!" He stood up, raring to go. "Come on, we need to call Kurama and head to the cave!"

...Now?

I stood slowly, debating.

After Rando, the four saint beasts, the Toguro brothers, the Dark Tournament itself, the ticket brawl… I realized this past year I'd done nothing but fight for my life. Yeah, I spent time playing video games and hanging out with my friends but in the back of my head I always was on the lookout, anticipating some sort of upcoming danger, waiting for Botan to bring bad news. It was like we could never go more than a few months without something popping up.

I wanted nothing more than to take just a few hours for myself. That Megallica concert was the perfect way for me to do that.

Just me and my friends, listening to our favorite band, no worries…

"Kuwabara?" Urameshi called to me. "What's wrong?"

"Well," I hesitated, but knew I had to assert myself to get it across to him that there was a serious reason for me to refuse. "I can't go today."

"What? Why? You have a stomach ache? That's why I don't eat those taiyaki's from here, man. Shit's just plain gross."

"No. Not exactly."

"What? What's wrong? Be clear! You havin' your period?"

"I should tell Aiko you said that," Botan remarked, to which Urameshi cringed at the thought of her getting upset.

"Well, you see…" I dug into my pocket, pulling out the tickets and holding them up gingerly with a sheepish smile. "Tonight's the Megallica concert."

I was expecting their reactions. The two of them seemed dumbstruck that I'd give up on this mission to go have fun, but damn it. I needed this.

It was then that Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura appeared at the door behind them.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" they called.

Urameshi quickly took off on me, sending punches that I didn't have time to dodge. It turned into a fight, because no way was I going to let him throw fists without getting a blow or two in myself.

"Are you completely stupid or what?!" he snapped.

"If you're mocking Megallica, I'll kill you!" We were quickly broken up by our own irritation, not wanting to be in contact with each other. I pushed away the stinging pain in my face. "Besides, if you had a ticket for the finals of a martial arts competition, wouldn't you do the same thing?!"

Urameshi paused, torn between what he wanted to do and what he wanted to say.

"He's hesitating…" Botan sighed in disappointment.

"I fought like the devil to get these tickets!" I asserted. "I've been waiting for this for a year and I finally _actually_ get to see them! Even if the Earth was about to explode I wouldn't care! I'm going to this concert!"

"Fine, fine!" Urameshi snorted, digging his pinky in his ear to soothe it from my yelling. "Without your reiki you're just dead weight anyway."

"You take that back!" I latched onto his collar and pulled him up face-to-face.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he snickered. "If you get assaulted without me there to help, you're doomed!"

"Go to hell! I'm a man. I don't need your services to survive, you idiot!"

He shrugged in reply, looking like a monkey with his stupid shit-eating smile. We were glaring at each other just a second later and ready to duke it out once more, but a familiar voice caught our attention.

"What?" The three of us glanced to each other briefly as my friends waited patiently, and we quickly recognized the voice.

"Oh, no!" Botan hissed and ran towards the roof door, away from the chain link fence at the edge of the roof.

"What?" I asked again.

"Is that Aiko?" Urameshi asked in disbelief as he looked past fence and down to the street below.

I followed behind him, finding her small figure. She stood before our gate, hair in a high pony-tail and dressed in attire I didn't usually see her in.

"She's… she's not going with you to the concert, is she?" he gaped.

"Yeah, she's the one that made the contest so I could have a shot at getting the tickets!"

He paused and then spoke.

"Well, good! Then there's someone there to protect you if all goes wrong!" he laughed obnoxiously loud.

"Screw you, man!"

His tone changed instantly, though, as he looked down at her impatient figure. "She knows how big the crowds get there, right?"

I hesitated. "Yeah…?"

Tongue in cheek, he shrugged.

"Why?"

"She won't have time to defend herself while she's defending you."

"Bite me, Urameshi!" I waved him off dismissively before flipping him off.

"Just make sure you don't tell her our plans. The last thing we need is her following us to the cave."

What? "She's the one who found the cave!"

"Yeah but if she doesn't know _when_ we're going then she can't follow us!" Urameshi asserted.

Botan nodded. "We have to make alibis."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay! I won't say anything to her." I made my way to Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura to make our way to the front gate.

We stepped foot near the gate and I watched her begin adjusting her jean vest in boredom. Finally, as we stepped a bit closer, she noticed us.

"Christ, _finally!"_ She threw her hands up as we all proceeded to hop the closed gate. "I've been yelling for like ten minutes! The teacher in that third floor room is mugging me really nasty. He's ready to call security on me, I can smell it."

I landed with a small "oof" and the guys' shoes scuffing the concrete could be heard behind me seconds later. I straightened up and apologized to her.

"Sorry, we were just dealing with some stuff." I moved out of the way, putting my friends in her line of sight. "This is Okubo, Kirishima, and Sawamura. Guys, this is Aiko. She's the one who set up the contest for the tickets."

She eyed them briefly as I said their names, like she was taking in certain aspects about them. Like how Okubo was heavier, or how Sawamura's buzzcut was recently done, or how Kirishima's hair could be either a dark blond or brown depending on the lighting.

Her eyes scanned over them slowly before she smiled.

"Hey!" She stood where she was, waving to them as a group as they returned the gesture and greeting.

Since I'd introduced her like a friend, they were alright with her right off the bat. She played with the neck of her black t-shirt as the guys tried getting to know her.

Sawamura was first. "What's your favorite album?"

"Oh, uh. The one Kuwabara let me borrow." She shrugged. "My coworker used to play it in the break room sometimes but he's really obnoxious so I would tune it out." She got a laugh out of the guys, but I wasn't sure if they were being polite or if they really thought it was funny. "But I really like Enter Sandman… oh, and The Unforgiven is pretty good."

"I hear they're going to play Enter Sandman," Kirishima said.

"I heard it's The Black Album, so I'm hoping all those songs are played," Okubo said.

"So would you be able to get us tickets to Ultradeath's concerts?" Sawamura asked.

"I don't know about that… I just know a guy." She shrugged, hands dipping into her pockets. "Kuwabara may be able to talk to him about it. Hirogawa likes getting concert requests."

"Yeah, man! You won these fair and square and we only had to chip in a couple thousand yen each so you could participate!" Sawamura slapped me on the back and I cracked a smile. "We can do that again!"

Aiko nodded and she gestured to the tight jeans she wore. "Don't you guys have to get ready? Or are we going in our school uniforms? Because I could have saved some time ditching fourth hour if I knew that."

"Oh, shit, you're right," Sawamura noted and then turned to me. "We'll meet you guys at the station, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah, man. We'll be there in about an hour."

"I guess I'll go with you then?" she asked me.

"Sure."

When we split up, heading down the street separate ways from the guys, Aiko was the first to speak.

"They seem nice," she said. "I think we'll have a fun night."

"Yeah, are you like…" I hesitated, not wanting to see her the way I usually did when she was upset. "Claustrophobic?"

"Uh," she paused and then shrugged. "Yeah… I guess."

"Just that I noticed how you get on trains and stuff, and then Urameshi told me to watch out for you at the concert, so I figured you don't like crowded places."

"He said that?" she grumbled.

I nodded, wondering if she was going to hit him when she next saw him. I kind of wanted her to since it'd be funny.

"Yeah, it's something like claustrophobia, I guess," she said again with a shrug and then quickly changed the subject. "So I see you have a girlfriend?"

My face burned at the thought of Yukina. Who told her about Yukina?

"Well, she's—I want her to be—she's—_"_

"I saw you really got the hots for her," she teased. "Who is she?"

"Miss Yukina," I replied, exhaling heavily to cool myself off and rid the redness from my face.

Aiko pondered a bit, trying to really remember who Yukina was.

"Yeah, the little blue haired girl I saw at the bus stop, right?" I nodded in response. "Well, she's cute!"

She wasn't just cute! She was absolutely beautiful. And it wasn't just her pretty, icy blue hair, or her soft, warm smile, or the way she was so caring and considerate about everyone and thing around her. It was everything about her.

"—she human?"

Her voice pulled me from my thoughts and I turned to Aiko. "Huh?"

"She's not human, is she?"

"Oh. Uh, no. She's not. She's what they call an ice maiden in Makai."

We walked in silence for another long while, and I didn't feel like talking to her with the way her aura seemed to change.

She spoke though, and hesitated first before glancing down to the sidewalk. "Does that… make you feel weird at all?"

I could kind of see where she was taking this. "Well, a bit, I guess. But I'm kind of used to being around youkai now so I don't think about how she's not really human."

And then she asked something I never once thought about. "Would you still like her if she didn't have the human façade?"

The question took me by surprise. It actually made me think. Was the only reason I gave her my undivided, completely devoted attention because of her looks? Well, it was what made me want to see her, rescue her—but... but I would have done that for anyone in need no matter how beastly they were!

"What about you?" I asked when the walk signal lit up across the street.

She waited for a minute before speaking. She stared down at the asphalt road.

"I like to think I would…"

I never thought about this! I didn't want to! I really loved Yukina and yeah, so I initially went to save her because she was beautiful… I would have agreed anyway had I seen anyone treated like that. Her beautiful looks were just a perk in the entire package that was considerate, respectful Miss Yukina.

"I think I would, too…" I walked ahead of her, and she trailed behind me. "Why're you thinking about stuff like this? I thought you really liked Kurama."

After we stepped on the sidewalk, it took me a minute to realize she stopped walking. I turned back to find her at the cross walk.

"I'm going to ask you this in confidence because I figure you of all people will understand, okay?" she said, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

"…Okay."

"If Yukina looked more… like a _youkai_…" I guess I could see where she was taking this, since I saw all kinds of youkai on the tournament island. I guess she meant more like a monster. "Can you honestly say you'd still love her... or like her, or whatever it is you feel for her?"

I paused, remembering back to the tournament. I could remember when Risho was about to kill me. I was seconds away from death, sending out my goodbye's best I could. But then I saw her, heard her cheer for me.

It wasn't just her looks. It was the fact she was _there for me,_ to support me. Seeing her there was what gave me the strength to win. A second wind, one that was cold and woke you right up.

"…Yeah, I think I can say I would," I said, and her eyes hit the floor as she nodded. "I don't know why you're bringing this up and getting all concerned, but I remember the bus stop."

She bristled and her eyes snapped open as a bright red flushed over her face. She refused to look up at me.

"You don't look at someone like that if you don't feel something for them," I said. "And that kind of something doesn't just get tossed away because they suddenly look different."

She shifted her weight on one foot and a smile graced her face, like she was proud of herself. She looked up to me and walked to my side, and patted me on the shoulder.

"You know what? You're right. Let's forget about this and go see Megallica."

I was glad she changed the subject. I didn't want to get mixed up in their relationship drama. I wanted to get punched in the face and knocked out in the pit.

"Hell yeah! I worked hard for those tickets! This is going to be great."

We had idle talk as we continued our way to my house, and she unzipped her boots as we walked into my home. I could hear the TV from the living room. A laugh track played while I slid my shoes off.

I called down the hallway. "Who's home?"

"Me," Sis called from the living room.

"Thanks for having me," Aiko said as we walked down the hallway.

"You're home early, Kazu," Sis noted as she straightened from her slouched position on the couch. "And you brought Aiko."

"Hey, Shizuru," she greeted. "We're going to the Megallica concert."

"I'm going to change," I said, heading towards the stairs. "I'll be home later tonight."

"I'll wait down here for you," Aiko said as she took a seat next to Sis.

"You two sure you should be goofing off tonight?" Sis asked, lowering the volume of the TV. "It's supposed to rain later."

"I'll dance throughout the night through rain, snow, or hail," I asserted. "A little rain isn't going to stop me from going to this concert."

"That's not what I meant," Sis dismissed with a sigh, but I already made it to the second floor and whatever she said next just turned into mumbles to land on Aiko's ears.

I knew what she meant but I pushed that thought away instantly as I began changing. I didn't care what was going on tonight; nothing was going to bring me down. Not Aiko's words, not Sis' words, not Urameshi's words. Nobody's words. Nothing.

Just for one night I was going to have fun and not worry about anything. I wasn't going to look out for the creator, for dangerous youkai—I wasn't going to look out for nothing.

Tonight was me and my friends.

* * *

**Aiko.**

I probably shouldn't have come. I was in way over my head, and though it was sprinkling in the early night, my surroundings were bright as the setting sun.

The concert hadn't even started yet and we already spent a few hours in line waiting to get in (and we were "early"). I just... didn't want to maneuver through that crowd. Was there a way I could get out of here? I almost wished I was with Shizuru on her couch drinking a screwdriver.

_She leaned on the couch's armrest, legs pulled up underneath her as she twisted her wrist around to swirl her drink. She turned the volume down on the TV again and glanced to me, and I could hear the ice clink in her glass. I watched the show with little interest, noting from the samurai skit that it had to be a Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV rerun. __******_

_"You guys should be careful tonight, you only got back from that place a few days ago," she said._

_"Don't worry about it," I replied, tucking my feet under my bottom as I mimicked her sitting position. "Besides, I don't think they'd come up here. They have to worry more about their precious tunnel."_

_"Kazuma told me you guys were followed at one point," she said, side-glancing to me. "I wouldn't doubt they got a good look at you all."_

_I sniffed, uncomfortable at the thought of being followed home. I then forced a laugh, tried to ease her conscious and mine._

_"Don't worry about it! We're not the ones that need to be followed, you know?" I reassured her, waving my hand around dismissively. "It's Yu that needs to watch his back, he was the one in the fight—I heard he got other information about the creator too. So—"_

_"Save it, girl." She took a sip of her drink as my hand quickly sunk to my lap. "False confidence does you as much good as it does me."_

_After a few seconds of building tension, I swallowed the lump that'd been forming in my throat. "You… you really think someone followed us home? Did you see something?"_

_"No. I just have a bad feeling about tonight," she mumbled, the rim of the glass still touching her lips. "It's like a bad feeling in the air. It doesn't just feel like rain's coming."_

_With a small exhale, I watched the show with her, waited patiently for Kuwabara to trot downstairs and tell me we could go. I didn't want to think about another battle—not when I was already awaiting one of my own at the pavilion._

_"I… I think we'll be fine…" I managed._

_"Yeah, I hope so too," she replied to my real words._

"You ever get in a mosh pit before, Aiko?" Okubo asked.

I snapped out of my trance and pushed my eyes away from the crowd of mainly men to find him staring at me with a wide, chubby smile.

I laughed nervously as he took off his baseball cap and set it on his head backwards. "No. This isn't exactly my kind of scene…"

"You'll get used to it quick!" Kirishima encouraged me, leaning down to speak over the loud crowd.

"Yeah, Aiko! It's going to be fine!" Kuwabara reassured me. "You just jump in and let the music take you!"

It was then, before Sawamura could encourage me, that the band made their entrance. The crowd around us was so loud, so heavy in excitement that I was beginning to chicken out. I could feel my face heating up as the lights brightened on the stage, tears stinging the corners of my eyes as a cloud of dry ice built up around the band's feet.

I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to ruin their night. But I was regretting coming.

"Do mosh pits just start anywhere?" I asked loudly, pulling Sawamura down to speak directly in his ear.

Thankfully, the crowd was loud enough to block out the sudden pitch in my voice.

"Yeah!" Sawamura replied. "Usually there's one really big one that just gets built up but other, smaller ones start too."

I wanted to go home.

Heavy drums started their opening song, and I inched away from the group when the guitar kicked in. Instantly, everyone began moving, and I blinked away the tears.

Kuwabara was quick to run to me, convincing me to stay.

"It'll be fine, Aiko! I promise!" he reassured. "Just dance, you don't have to get into the pit. Here, I'll stay with—"

My heart spiked at his words. "No, go! I'm not being responsible for your lame time. Go! I'll be fine. I'm not going anywhere."

If I left I had a feeling Kuwabara would hunt me down to make sure I was all right. I wasn't going to be responsible for his shitty time here.

He deserved this break; I wasn't going to ruin it. If only I could stand the idea of getting stuck in a pit. The hip-hop concerts I'd been to, albeit few, were _not_ this heated. We passed around rolled cigarettes and danced—we didn't do _pits,_ we didn't clamber together like this.

Kirishima was the first to approach me as everyone around us began dancing wildly to the music picking up.

"You've never been to a metal concert?" he asked, practically screaming over the music that spanned this far into the crowd.

I shook my head.

"Just fight invisible ninjas!" he laughed. "It's easy. Watch!"

Practically flailing, he twisted his body, lifting his feet in various positions in the exciting dance. He really did look like he was fighting invisible ninjas—and I laughed at the sight. I had to join in at that point, just as the music got heavier, but was careful to make sure I wasn't swinging my arms blindly.

Rain truly began, coming down heavily in droves, and though I was upset about sticking it out in the cold, I soon realized dancing would keep me warm.

Okubo and Kuwabara soon joined us as well, dancing and head banging in our own circle. Kirishima was my leverage. I used his shoulder for support as I jumped up and down, fist pumping to the songs I knew. With each passing song, Kuwabara and the boys disappeared intermittently in nearby pits, but one of them always stayed with me to dance in the crowd.

It was when I was with Okubo that someone rammed into me with their shoulder before bouncing off and running away. Shocked, jolted, I stumbled backwards.

Okubo was quick to make sure I didn't fall into another crowd.

"Circle pit!" A boy behind us cheered and shoved past us to join the running crowd that circled in front of us and grew ever bigger.

Just as the fastest song I'd heard from them came on, too.

Okubo looked like he wanted to jump in, so I loudly encouraged him to join. And with some forbearance, he obliged and jumped into the circle, quickly skipping a bit to match the pace before blending in to the group.

I watched the small circle form and grow before me. People passed by at such a quick pace, dancing to their heart's content, jumping on each other out of fun, shoving out of excitement. Though I knew everyone was taking this for themselves to have fun, the aggression was clear in the circle, the atmosphere was violent and thick.

The aggression.

Slowly, the circle morphed into a closer knit ball, becoming a new pit in itself. The music slowed and the guitar became more noticeable with a tune that I could distinguish. The breakdown began, and the pit—no, the entire crowd—chanted with their chorus.

What was I going to do? Go to a Megallica concert and spend it on the sidelines because I was too caught up in the past? That was why I agreed on the roof to come: to try.

But this concert was majority men. Grown men. Adult men.

I waited, watching the pit grow ever bigger as more people joined. I would either have to maneuver further back in the crowd to get away from it or let it consume me.

It was then I noticed a boy closer to my age who fell in the pit, tripped over his own two feet, and was quickly helped up by another. Kuwabara was in the crowd too, along with his friends, releasing all his pent-up frustrations and stresses over the past year.

I deserved that too, even if my problems were different.

My aggression would be channeled into the pit, I would be prepared. They would feel my anger too, just as I felt theirs from over here.

I waited for the guitar solo to jump in the thick crowd. I braced myself, arms sturdy yet fluid to accommodate the rough movements from everyone around me. I pushed back as others rammed into me, sending me into another.

An elbow or three to the face and a load of pain later, I got the hang of the footwork needed to survive in the pit. Soon, I made it closer to a dancing Kuwabara, who shoved me from him without much thought.

I didn't blame him; I wasn't even angry. It was invigorating, exciting. That touch wasn't the same as the others: it wasn't entitlement. I slammed into the person that happened to be on my predetermined course and pushed myself off him.

I became aggressive in seconds. Passionate, feeding off other's emotions and pouring them back out in the crowd through contact with another. All these years and it was almost as if I was getting each of these men back, as if I was letting them know the anger I held for them. And I felt their anger—I was their coworker, their sister, their abuser, their mother, their daughter, their boss.

I was a faceless being, one with autonomy and identity, but a nameless figure. I was the scapegoat for their anger as they were mine, but between us all, the hatred wasn't tangible. It didn't exist between _us._

Stimulated, overloaded, my raw emotions kept me pushing through despite the ever-growing tunnel vision. I shoved back. I danced wildly, without practice or or care or talent.

It was then through the force of physics and chance that Kuwabara grew closer to me in the pit again, and I took advantage of our proximity to jump on his back.

He was shocked for a minute, ready to fight, until he recognized my boots, and he then scooped his arm under one of my legs to hold me up. I wrapped the other around his torso and one arm around his neck for support as he danced freely.

The song was clearer up here, lyrics crystal despite the audible, heavy pour of rain. It was from the album he let me borrow. I knew the words.

Kuwabara could be heard below me, belting out the lyrics as his fist pumped the air, and I couldn't help but send my bird flying high to everyone on the floor as I sang along, voice mixing in with his. I could hear the other's voices too, and looking down I found his friends pushed against us. Sawamura's arm wrapped around Kuwabara's neck.

I could hear it in Kuwabara's voice, feel it in the way he danced recklessly, that he was letting loose, having fun.

We all screamed the lyrics, singing our throats raw—and none of them cared I messed up some words.

I didn't care I was battling tunnel vision. All I had to do was wait until my body calmed down and I could jump back in. Kuwabara bounced around, holding on tight to my leg to keep me from falling.

It was then that the guitar died down and the song ended that the lead singer began ordering us around. The drums died out too, the bass next, and all we could hear were the orders. His words rang around and above us clearly, echoing slightly.

_Make way, fuckers! Come on! Make fucking way!_

Quickly, better than a class of grade schoolers with ADHD after lunch time, everyone cleared away from each other. It was like there was an invisible line between two new crowds.

I stayed on Kuwabara's back as he took us with our half of the stadium. I stared the other half in the face, watching everyone bounce on their heels in excitement, some still dancing outright, others huffing and puffing and looking for violence.

"Should I get off?" I asked, watching everyone jumping around, anxious to partake in this little activity.

"Think you can handle a wall of death?" Kuwabara asked, and I tried to stutter out an unsure reply. "It's cool, Aiko. Your first time for all this—better if you stay up there, don't you think?"

With a deep breath, I hopped off his back and he let go of my leg. I steadied myself as the lead singer continued talking.

_On my mark! Don't go until I say! Don't fucking go until I say!_

Looking through the rain, I scanned the dark area for our friends, finding Sawamura and Kirishima across from us on the other side of the invisible line. Heart pumping in my throat, I looked around for Okubo, finding him right next to us.

"Don't trip over your feet, Aiko!" Kuwabara yelled, and I nodded. "You could get trampled to death in this crowd!"

_This is war! You're out for blood! Kill. Every. One. No man left standing!_

I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, feeding off the adrenaline in the air—tunnel vision far away. Bound to return sometime, but not now. I could breathe. That wall of men—wall of death—I was ready for it.

This was my revenge, the beginning of my redemption.

I looked around the stadium, finding a straight line of clearing the entire way down. The entire stadium was split in half, all eager. _The biggest Wall of Death I've ever seen _were words fleeting around in excitement.

Kuwabara was the most eager in the entire crowd, bouncing on his feet, left then right, left then right. He had the cheesiest, happiest grin I'd ever seen plastered on his face.

The drums picked up heavily, the guitar followed, and with a low growl in the mic, his voice began to grow louder into a roar—and we stormed the open space at the butchered "go."

We ran to each other, each side of the stadium screaming battle cries over the lyrics being shouted by people in the back. We collided. We fought. It was a war for power. Though I was weak, and the men around me forced me back with ease, I fought with my arms out, shoving back and molding between the waves of people.

But I wasn't alone as I was pushed around, because behind me were sturdy arms, there for support—blind siblings there to fight back. I watched in the crowd around me as people climbed over others only to get carried away or fall into the arms of another. Elbows were flung around blindly, people were shoved recklessly, and I took a busted lip with stride.

Despite knowing I wouldn't want to be touched for the next few weeks after this, we pushed and jumped and climbed and shoved back until the war dispersed into a giant pit.

Our group took time out of the pit every few songs, letting us catch our breath and stabilize ourselves before jumping back in to feed off each other's vibes once more. And again and again, we found a rhythm until the last song was played. And again and again, we found each other in the crowd to regroup and laugh and smile and dance.

It was absolutely pouring by the time the concert ended, and I wanted nothing more than for someone to drag me home by my boot. I leaned my hand on Okubo's shoulder for leverage as we walked along the empty neighborhood street, hoping to catch my breath and not fall face first into the wet pavement below.

"That was _greaaaaat_!" Kirishima yelled, aggression still eager to be let loose, though I knew it would disperse in the rain as we slowed our pulses on the walk home.

"It was so worth the wait!" Okubo agreed as he wiped his bloody nose, and I soon caught my breath and straightened myself.

"Thanks for setting up the contest, Aiko!" Sawamura said.

"_I'm_ not the one you need to thank!" I waved it off, lifting my face to let the cold rain cool me down, despite my make-up running even more. "Thank the guy who won the tickets!"

"You sure it wasn't your first Megallica concert?" Kuwabara asked with a silly grin.

I nodded and wiped the blood off my chin. "I'm usually at a chiller place, fewer people than that. _Way_ fewer people. Speaking of which—" I turned to the other three boys. "I'm getting us all tickets to Chan Da Rappar! I tested your band; you're going to test my artist."

"I'm down!" Sawamura chimed, to which all boys agreed.

"What about karaoke now?" Okubo suggested. "There's a twenty-four hour one open nearby."

"My throat's run raw, man," Kirishima sighed, but then laughed. "But fuck it, I'm up for that."

"Yeah… maybe…" Kuwabara replied slowly.

How late was it? I remembered sitting on the couch instantly.

"We deserve some fun," I said, almost whining. I stared him down, watching him ponder over his responsibilities. With one deep breath, I encouraged him. "_You_ definitely do. Come on, _Kazuma_!"

The ginger-haired boy cast a quick glance at me before wiping his hand over his face in thought.

Grumbling to himself, he gripped his hand into a fist. "_Alright_! We're singing karaoke until we can't even grunt without feeling pain!"

"Yes!" My hands flew into the air.

It was then I felt the thickness in the air, something heavy, sticky. It enveloped me with ease, with desire. I paused in my stride, unsure of where I felt the familiar feeling before.

"Where's the karaoke place you're talking about, Okubo?" Kazuma asked.

"There's one a few blocks from here, it's near the train station."

"Huh?" Kirishima's voice caught my attention.

He looked around us in the pouring rain as we stepped under a nearby street light.

"Sawamura?" he called and looked around for the boy who disappeared. He then laughed, making fun of Sawamura. "All this water! You were going to wet yourself, I bet! Hurry and zip up your pants so we can go."

I eyed the dark street, where we were headed, though I couldn't shake the strange shift. I couldn't help but feel a few yards away the air was colder, clearer.

Kirishima's scream sent my brain into overload, forcing it to piece everything together quickly. A territory.

Shizuru was right.

"Kuwabara, what is that thing?!" Kirishima's scream sent us into a panic, turning to view him and a strange water monster, resembling something close to the human anatomy, that formed from the puddles below.

Even out of _everything_ I'd seen so far, the fucking water monster was taking the cake. How could a youkai possibly be made of—_no_, it wasn't a youkai. It was a territory. Someone could control water. Someone made that.

The enemy flicked its finger, extending indefinitely, sucking up the water around it to extend and—Kazuma leapt in front of Kirishima, reaching out his hand to take the blow of the sharp water. Blood poured out of the fresh wound in Kazuma's palm.

I couldn't fathom how it could become so sharp in liquid form without accelerating at an accommodating velocity. It really wasn't _that _fast...

"Kazuma!" I ran to the group, unwilling to be left alone in the group at such a critical time. I was a walking target.

The three of us hovered around Kazuma as the enemy morphed into its natural liquid state and dropped to the puddles below, blending.

"Kuwabara, are you alright?" Kirishima asked.

"Where's Sawamura? What's happening?" Okubo was next to panic.

"We're fucked. Shizuru was right," I muttered to myself, breathing erratically. "We're goners."

What use was I? If we were up against a person I'd have a speck of a chance to defend myself, but this was water. What the fuck was I going to do, karate chop a puddle?

"Shut up, Aiko! Don't talk like that," Kazuma hissed before looking around and raising his voice. "Come on! Show yourself!"

It was then a small figure stepped out of the darkness and under another nearby street lamp. A kid. A fucking kid. I couldn't see his face since it was covered by the shade of his jacket's hood, but his stature, his height, was definitely that of a teenager.

I could take him. Kick him in the balls, watch him drop and cry like the little bitch he was.

"I was waiting for the rain," he said as another water being appeared behind him, a larger version of the last one. "My powers are stronger when it rains."

Nope, nevermind.

"I'm dreaming," Okubo mumbled. "I'm totally dreaming."

Another similar enemy moved out from behind the kid, dragging Sawamura with him into sight. The battered boy I was just dancing with not even a half hour ago was unconscious, held up by his neck by the monster.

"I don't want to be unfair," the kid said with a grin. "So I'll probably just kill you all."

"Sawamura!" Kazuma called to the boy in hopes of waking him, but he didn't stir.

"I've followed you for a while, Kuwabara," the kid said. "Especially since your powers are gone." He cast a glance to me. "I couldn't follow _you_ around, but since you happen to be here, I'll handle you too. Can't have you finding us."

How could he know...? Unless…

"He's the one who was following us in the outskirts of Mushiyori," I hissed to Kazuma, who was readying himself to throw his fists around.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Okubo snapped at Kazuma, and then look to Kirishima in hopes of him somehow knowing when the ginger didn't answer.

"I don't know, but this is _for real_," Kirishima replied, readying himself as well.

Kazuma hesitated, watching the kid warily. I stepped back, knowing I couldn't fight. Maybe if I told the enemy I already sent information in, I'd be useless to him.

Then the possibility arose—that could be grounds for getting killed. Best I just run.

"I'll show you how to create them," the kid said, peeling a band-aid off his index finger. "The beings."

A drop of blood fell into a puddle below him, and the water then began to move at his mental command, growing into another being.

"The more blood I add, the stronger it gets!" the kid said proudly.

"Kazuma, I'm _gone_," I hissed, and he nodded.

"Yeah, get out of here and get help!"

Okubo laughed to himself. "I'm totally dreaming. Fucking dreaming."

I sprinted down the secluded street, hoping to find a payphone close by. If I could get hold of Kurama or Yu then this could be okay!

"Aiko!" Kazuma's scream jolted me.

I knew what was going to happen. He wouldn't let me get away.

Without much thought, I lifted my leg and pivoted on the foot that was planted sternly in the puddle below me. I kicked back in hope, watching my foot drag through its lower abdomen, slicing it in half.

Its halves splashed on my face and to the ground below, but once I could open my eyes I looked around for the being. Nowhere to be seen, it blended into the puddles. Kazuma looked relieved in the distance as I eyed my perimeter to make sure it was gone.

I quickly gathered myself and began running again. I didn't make it far as a hand, one I knew formed from the puddles, reached up and grabbed my boot, yanking my foot.

I fell face first into the hard cement below. Water engulfed my body. In less than a second, I was lifted off the ground, into the hands of a new water giant.

I couldn't scream. Fear tightened my throat to where I forgot how to breathe.

"Let her go!" Kazuma demanded as I felt the cold air on my wet clothes and skin as the giant finished morphing. "Let her and Sawamura go! I'm the man you want, right?!"

I was stuck in its new grip, held close to its chest by its thick arm.

"Idiot!" the kid laughed, dropping another speck of blood into the water leisurely with a limp wrist. "This is a perfect opportunity. Two-for-one."

"Let them go!" Kirishima yelled, fists up and ready to go as another being formed. He sprinted at the new foe.

Kazuma was the only one with his head screwed on and I couldn't find my voice. "Kirishima, don't!"

The new being charged at the brunet boy, leaping into the air to punch him in his gut. Blood spurted from his mouth on contact and he flew back from the force, skidding across the wet ground.

Kazuma and Okubo then charged to the kid, cornered into fighting. The being that held me was still, its only movement the flowing of water in its contained space. I shoved my elbow into its torso, but my arm merely entered the mass, having no effect on it otherwise.

The kid's laugh brought me back to Kazuma and Okubo, whose attacks were pointless, as their hands only went through the water… or the beings shifted around their form to avoid having their bonds broken. Okubo took multiple blows to the face and was knocked back, blacking out for a moment as he landed in a large puddle.

"Didn't you see what happened to her?" the kid laughed. "It's water! If it breaks, it just rebonds!"

As I tried wriggling myself out of the monsters grip, I saw other smaller beings form and gather Kirishima and Okubo while one flung Kazuma around like a rag doll. They dragged my new friends to the one that held Sawamura and merged with it, shoving the boys together in the water giant's growing arms.

It was then, as the water enemy grew in size, my captor headed towards theirs. With just one touch, the two began merging, bonding into an even larger threat, and I was carried by the waves and smashed up next to Sawamura.

"If you hurt them, I swear to god I'll make you pay!" Kazuma yelled. "You're not going to get away with this."

The kid's laughter died as he pulled out what looked like a kitchen knife.

To cut himself and draw more blood? Christ.

"Have you never heard of a razor blade, you stupid piece of shit?" I griped, leaning over the arm to see the knife clearly. "Carrying around a steak knife—are you fucking serious? How dramatic…"

He glared at me, mug growing into a deep scowl at my words. I watched his snarl, saw only the dimples and lines of his skin curl around his mouth. I found myself making the same face as I glared over to him.

"Shouldn't talk like that to someone who holds your life in their hands," he snapped, but then his upper lip twitched slightly. "Doesn't matter I guess, since you'll be taken care of in a few minutes."

A small nerve in the back of my head snapped; I didn't care about his threats. I wanted to rub the news in.

"I already found out, you know," I snarled. "Already sent it in. You've already lost half the battle."

A fleeting smirk graced Kazuma's lips. "Like I said... you won't get away with this."

The kid's lips parted, jaw dropped, and then—

"_I'm_ the one ruling the game here, you idiots!" he screamed, face contorting into one of psychosis, stabbing the blade into his nearest hostage's leg—Okubo's. "I _actually_ thought of sparing these idiots at first! But now I'm just pissed!"

Okubo's screams jarred me; guilt washed over me for provoking the kid. Breath caught in my throat, I gasped out cries.

"Okubo! Hey, Okubo!" I felt warm tears wash over my face among the cold rain droplets. "Okubo! Look at me!"

Okubo cried out still, face washed over in agony as he grimaced to me, trying to bite back the pain.

"Whatever, she's disposable. I need _you_." The kid pointed the bloody knife to Kazuma, who was bristling with building anger.

"You're going to die, you little bastard!" Kazuma's voice rang out, but I knew better than to watch him get pushed back by another foe—punched away from us with ease.

"Just look at me, focus on anything but this—the sky!" I cried, voice breaking in the end. "I'm sorry! I didn't think he'd_—fuck._ I'm sorry, Okubo."

He coughed, cleared his throat. "It's not your fault."

Yes it was…

The kid laughed again as I heard Kazuma's disgruntled cries of pain. I kept my eyes off the kids I enjoyed spending time with. I didn't want to see them in pain. I didn't want to see them, not like this. I stared down at the ground, watching the rain drops create ripples in the puddles below, and water from my eyes soon fell down to join them.

"Kuwabara, come back later!" Kirishima grunted, awakening from his recent bout of unconsciousness. "We can take care of Aiko while you're gone. We can handle this until you get back!"

"You can barely take care of yourself!" I sobbed. "Look at where taking care of yourself got you!"

"Don't play the hero!" Kazuma snapped, dragging my eyes to the bloodied boy. "I'm getting you guys out of there, just calm down!"

I want Kurama. Where's Kurama? Where's Yu? My dad? Mom? Where's Kurama?

I want someone to hold me, someone _warm_. Someone caring.

Shizuru was right, we shouldn't have gone out.

The kid sucked his teeth. "That's enough; it's time to end this."

And with the snap of his fingers, the giant hunched over, tightening its grip as it engulfed us.

No. Nonononono. No. Did anyone think I could actually hold my breath? I'd be the first to go.

I want Yu. Where is he? Why couldn't I run fast enough to get away?

I wiggled away from the giant best I could, freeing an arm and reaching out for Kazuma in false hope. My body was pulled inside the cold water, and I could feel the water rush around me as I sunk inside.

I inhaled sharply, deeply, opening my mouth wide at the last possible second to inhale as much oxygen as possible. In less than a second, the water engulfed us, pulling us inside its mass. We'd slipped into a voracious animal's maw.

My fingers were the last to enter the body of water... and then the cold air surrounding the tip of my middle finger was gone.

I kept my eyes closed tight, scared to open them underwater. Vaguely, muffled, Kazuma's voice rang through the heavy water every so often, but I couldn't make out the words. I lifted my hand towards where we'd come from, but the water was only a wall—liquid, yet still solid, thick.

Desperate, I hit my fist against the wall, hearing the dull thuds echo around us—like we were trapped in a fish bowl. The boys thought the same idea too, but after a few moments we gave up, knowing we couldn't break through. The water pulled me away from the wall, carrying me with ease as I struggled to hold my breath.

Weightless in the darkness, it was as if there was nothing else in this liquid mass besides me.

Weightless. Something I always wanted to subconsciously achieve...

My throat burned for oxygen and contracted in fear and need, threatening to exert enough pressure and force my mouth open. I could hear the kid's psychotic laughter again, ringing proudly around the water as if he'd won.

Squinting open my eyes, I looked through my mascara clumped lashes. Through blurred vision, I battled to keep my mouth clamped shut. Kazuma was now next to me—wait.

Kazuma was now next to me—_inside the water_!

We're dead. Shit. Shitshitshit.

No, calm down. Kazuma was capable of saving us. He could do it. He survived the tournament, didn't he? He could do this too. He had to.

But I was going to drown. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe.

The pressure in my chest hurt, burned. I wanted to breathe. I wanted to breathe. If I opened my mouth I knew I'd lose—I'd gasp for air. I was going to die. It hurt. My chest hurt. My head hurt. My heart frantically pounded. I could hear each pump vividly, know just when each valve opened and closed in desperation.

The kid leaned in to see Kazuma as he inched to the edge of the being, swinging punches at the solid wall.

"Now you're trapped in my territory!" the kid asserted, voice hollow as it traveled through the giant's inner waves. "Only way you can get out is to kill me! But you can't get out of there!" he laughed, pointing at us. "So how are you going to kill me?! After all that talk, you're nothing!"

My lips burst apart; a desperate gasp for air pleaded from my throat and received only water in return. Begging for air, yet receiving water, the liquid spilled down my trachea instead of my esophagus.

It was excruciating—the most painful thing I'd ever experienced. It was tight, uncomfortable, terrifying. My body went into shock immediately, shaking violently while my throat and chest convulsed in desperate attempts to push the water up and receive air in return.

Instead, water continued to pour down my trachea. My hands blindly found their way to my throat, clutching it in confused desperation.

I could hear nothing but my heartbeat.

I wanted my mom and dad. I wanted Kurama. Yu. Minoru. Minoru.

Unable to swallow or properly work my throat, tunnel vision returned with a vengeance and quickly took hold of me. Kazuma's silhouette in front of me, punching desperately at the edge of the water being, was the last image imprinted in my retinas.

I could feel my thought process slowing despite the pain; I was drowsy, lethargic. Just like my heartbeat was becoming. I closed my eyes tight in the midst of the agony as I felt myself numbing, felt my conscious slipping. I conjured what I could in the darkness of my mind.

I could see the tip of his ponytail lay gently on his shoulder as he looked up at me expectantly, the corners of his lips tugging up. I caused that smile. I made someone smile like that.

I made _him _of all people smile like that.

And Kazuma would save us, so I could make him smile like that again—and my dad too. I could make him smile the way he did when he saw my acceptance letter to Meiou. I could do it again.

Because Kazuma would get us out…

The image fuzzed out slowly, and deep down I could feel myself begging to fall asleep—to make the pain go away. I faded to black, the darkness my head offered, unsure whether I'd hear the next beat of my heart… or if it'd already stopped.

* * *

**A/N:**

***** _Taiyaki_ is a fish-shaped cake, often filled with paste like red beans or sweet potato, or even chocolate. Made with pancake or waffle batter.

****** _Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV _was a popular Japanese variety show aired in the early 80's that ran until the early 90's. Had satirical skits that poked fun at the contemporary society of Japan at the time and featured funny home videos that viewers would send in.


	7. Blackbird

**_PART IV. "Blackbird."_**

* * *

_"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly.  
All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise."_

— _Lennon-McCartney._

* * *

**Aiko.**

Every nerve that spanned throughout my body was taken out and placed on the nearest hot stove, singeing black. Fire engulfed me.

When the pressure of cold water disappeared around me, I cried out in pain.

We spilled out of the monster as it split like a shattered vase and we tumbled to the ground below, settling in the deep puddles. I didn't have to look around to know Kazuma got us out with the use of his reiki—because there was no way fists were going to break through that territory.

Lying on my back, I watched as the rain poured down from the sky, droplets illuminated by the streetlamp near me. I couldn't feel the pretty droplets through the pain. From my peripheral, I could see the orange light—the feel of ki emitting from it. Kazuma succeeded; he regained control over his reiki. His and the enemy's voice could be heard a while away, their words muffled over the downpour.

Though I cared he won, the feeling was fleeting because all I could focus on was the scorching pain throughout my body. With every movement the pain ignited more, flaring and spiking with intensity as if I was ripping off my flesh and jumping straight in the heart of a fire.

I rose and the fire carried with me briefly, and then my torso was out of the flames. I rolled over on my elbow, careful with each movement to spare myself from the fire in my abdomen and below still burning in pain.

I steadied my blurry vision and saw two identical, impeccably manicured hands lying in front of me. My hand.

Identical.

My head whipped over my shoulder, wide eyes landing on my body lying underneath me. Face pale and bruised and a slight shade of blue, eyelids half closed, and… irises rolled into the back of my head. I lay still in the rain, droplets landing on my face and spilling down the curves of my cheeks.

There was no breath to truly be caught in my throat, but I felt the plethora of emotions just as I would have if I were in my body.

I pulled my hand up to my face, finding it translucent—I could see the street lamp in the distance behind it.

I screamed, crying out Kazuma's name frightfully, slowly, then hurriedly, repeatedly. I looked to where the fire was in my legs, finding I was still attached at the shins. I was too scared to roll out and remove myself—what if I couldn't get back in?

It took just seconds for Kazuma to piece together what happened. He picked up the kid he just beat and dragged him over to me as I cried and yelled incoherently—even I didn't know what I was saying anymore. Nonsensical words flew from my lips as I screamed and sobbed.

Carefully, I rolled over and lifted myself over my dead body, floating.

He knelt beside me in a panic, hands hovering over me frantically as I continued spouting out vague words, crying. Eventually, I could muster out begs, pleading for him to resuscitate me.

He was shocked, scared to see I'd actually passed over, but he quickly pulled himself together.

I didn't want to die—not yet. Not like _this_.

He placed his ear to my chest, looking for any rhythm. Instead, he lifted his gaze to me—frightened, shocked.

Did I not have a heartbeat?! Where was my heartbeat?

A heartbeat in this tiny body—wherever was my heartbeat before?

He titled my head back, chin up, and parted my lips to breathe into me. Bloodied and bruised and half-alive himself, he placed his hands in the middle of my chest and pressed repeatedly before breathing again. We stayed in the rain for what seemed like an eternity, and with the kid so exhausted he was unable to get away—forced to watch us battle death in vain.

I could do nothing but watch in fear, knowing if I had a heartbeat as a ghost I'd be able to hear it vividly in my ears. I could inch myself back inside, subject myself to the fiery agony that didn't pull me back—there was no suction to keep my soul with my body.

I could only cry, beg for Kazuma to try his hardest, even if it wouldn't work…

He let go of my mouth for the fifth time, staining my face in his blood, and leaned back towards my chest to pump. With one press, water forced out of my mouth, splurting out. My body rolled over to its side, coughing out more water.

Yet the pull to take my soul back did not appear; my body still revoked my obligation to gravity.

Kazuma glanced to me—my soul—with his beaten face and tired eyes. He then turned back to my body. He rolled my body over on its back and pumped again as I continued shaking, crying and imploring him to find a way to save me.

I didn't expect him to but I hoped. I hoped he'd come through. He was all I had right now.

Finally, he stilled. With his hands clamped over each other on my chest, he paused—had he given up?

Before I could cry and beg some more, he tried another method.

His reiki, glowing a bright orange, poured out of his hands and surrounded my chest. The suction occurred instantly. Within seconds, I was being pulled. The fiery agony gripped hold of me as I was forced back inside, covering every inch of me as I descended in the shell that was my body.

My throat forced out another small volume of water, burning my throat and nose as it shot out. Blurry vision. Kazuma's silhouette hovered above me after pushing air down my throat again, reassuring me he'd succeeded, but the pain didn't subside.

He rolled me on my side as I continued spitting up water.

I writhed in pain, and once I could breathe properly, my screams were vocal and loud. The fire didn't leave me; my body was still being ripped apart from the inside as I coughed up liquid.

My hands found their way around my head, and I squeezed tight, trying to crush my head in hopes of relieving myself from the pain. Unsure of what to do, Kazuma scooped me in his hold and pressed my face in his chest to muffle my screeching. His arms wrapped around my body to keep me from flailing around blindly.

My legs kicked wildly, body jerked dangerously under his hold. I clawed at the back of his jacket, trying to get through him so I could get to myself. The pain had to end somehow.

I couldn't tell how long the agony lasted—it felt like an eternity—but suddenly, it was like it just… stopped. Decided to quit. Die.

Like me, as darkness took hold once more.

* * *

**Kurama.**

Though I would have preferred tending to her first, with the strange new force emitting from her, Kuwabara and his friends' injuries were priority. With Botan's minor healing abilities we patched the boys up before extracting information from them.

After being told the gist of last night, I was able to toy with them the next few minutes, slipping powder under their noses individually and replacing their memories upon passing out.

It would be unfair to drag them into this mess. Instead of letting them live in fear of people like our hostage, who could control water of all things, and learn about the other two realms, I let them believe they were cornered into a gang-related fight.

I didn't place any particular names or people in their heads. It would be better to let them grumble over the imaginary enemies than have them hunt down specific people and get into more trouble. Upon waking them once more, with their newly planted memories, Botan helped me usher them out the door.

Botan followed Yusuke into his room to check on Kuwabara and the hostage as I headed to the couch in the living room where Aiko lay. Bright, late afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains in the living room but she still hadn't stirred.

I watched as Genkai hovered over her, standing next to her on the couch and holding the ice pack to Aiko's face with one hand as she sipped tea with the other. I stood next to Genkai, noting the pensive way she looked down at the youth.

She could tell.

"You know something's different too," I noted.

"Her reiki isn't the same," she replied as I inched closer, and she let go of the ice pack to let me hold it in place. "It comes from her hands at times."

Curious, I sat on the cushion next to her sleeping form, and Genkai eyed her once more.

"It's a significant difference to how it used to be," I said, noting Botan did well cleaning off her ruined make-up. "It wasn't like this the other day."

Genkai grunted in thought and turned on her heels, heading back to the table. "There's one way to strengthen your ki in this situation." Develop a territory. "But we're not going to know what happened to her until one of them wakes up."

She went to Mushiyori and was exposed to Makai's air and the tunnel's energy. But as was noted back at the House of Four Dimensions, people subjected to developing a territory suffered from severe vomiting, fever, and fatigue for an extended period. She'd been there only a few days ago and seemed normal… So until she woke up and told us what happened, we were stumped.

There were other ways to strengthen ki, the most common being through training, then through transfer, then through death. The least common way, one that's rarely experienced, was through revival.

Even Genkai, who held no true feelings on the girl, was hoping she had developed a territory—because for ki to grow this quickly ruled out training.

"Looks like the kid's about to wake up," Yusuke called to me from the hallway, and I steadied the ice pack on her still slightly swollen cheek to stay put as I left the room.

The child would know what's wrong with her. He should be able to tell us everything—about the tunnel, why they were opening it, and why he was sent after Kuwabara.

We entered his room, finding the hostage in Yusuke's bed and Kuwabara in the corner of the room on a bean bag still out cold. The kid seemed to be dreaming, eyes darting around under his lids, becoming stimulated enough to wake.

"Think he'd be stupid enough to try his territory here?" Yusuke asked.

"I doubt it," I said. "Scare him into submission and we should be fine. He seems fragile enough."

It was then he woke, jumping in fright and sitting upright. He immediately curled in pain, feeling his unhealed wounds from Kuwabara's beating. The pain was the last thing on his mind as he noticed he was alive. The more important issue was his location. His eyes darted around the room, not yet landing on us.

"Hey!" Yusuke grinned to the boy.

He jumped again, away from our figures, and cornered himself against the wall.

"Where am I?" he demanded, features hardening.

"My room," Yusuke replied simply and then pointed to Kuwabara on the bean bag. "I spent some time looking for him and finally found him outside my apartment complex with five people on his back."

His blue eyes darted to Kuwabara and then back again to us.

"Five?" Warily, he spoke under his breath. "So she's alive?"

Yusuke cocked an eyebrow and growled at the kid. "Is there a reason she shouldn't be?"

The boy looked to us and chose his words carefully. "She wasn't our target, but I was told if we ever happened to cross paths with her we could take her out if we really wanted."

I stared down at the boy, finding my arms crossing over my chest. He glared at me with no remorse but stayed pressed against the wall. His eyes darted over me carefully, assessing my build, wondering how many ways I could handle him and hide his body.

My stare didn't falter, I wanted him to imagine.

Yusuke gritted his teeth. "Why?"

"Because she was going to find us!" he snapped. "All that talk about nature conservation areas and caves, she was on the right track. But it didn't matter if she found us. Nobody really cared, not even Gourmet."

The Makihara, no doubt.

"They just cared about Kuwabara," I replied slowly. "Why?"

They didn't care if we stormed down there tonight… they were either confident in taking us on or the tunnel was closer to opening than we thought.

He didn't answer and continued thinking—whether to lie or find a way out, I wasn't sure. From the way he stared us down, it seemed to be both.

"The three other boys are safe; we asked them about you and then sent them on their way," I said, and he winced.

"There's no use hiding anything, either!" Yusuke said. "We've got Yana with us, so you better think twice about lying."

The boy hesitated, glaring at us with a strange form of hatred. "We don't deserve to live."

The words were reminiscent of the college freshman's just a few days ago. "Who is '_we'_? Your comrades?"

"Mankind!" he snapped in response. "If you watched that tape, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Yusuke became interested. "What videotape?"

"It's called Chapter Black," he replied, sparking my interest. It was then this situation made more sense. "If you watch that, you'll see all the horrible things humanity's done."

"That's impossible," I asserted. "How could you have gotten hold—"

"You heard of it, Kurama?" Yusuke turned to me from his chair.

I regained composure with ease. "A videotape taken from Reikai's deep archives. It's a document that has thousands of hours of humanity's bad deeds. I know Hiei wanted it." I paused, piecing together my conversation with Koenma yesterday. "I knew the tape was missing, but I didn't think it would link with this case."

"You haven't seen the tape, that's why you're playing heroes!" the child snapped. "Watch that tape and see how fast your mind changes!"

"So what?!" Yusuke stood from his seat, kicking the chair out of his way as he inched towards the kid. "Because some people are fucked up we all have to pay?!"

"Yes!"

Yusuke didn't like that answer. "So we _all_ deserve to be youkai dinner?!"

"Yes!" he shuddered, voice shaking despite standing his ground. "You don't know what you're talking about! You don't know humanity's true nature."

Someone who would want to eradicate the human race and show his comrades the Chapter Black video to recruit them… Who would do this? I needed to speak to Koenma, find who was last seen with the tape. He already mentioned he had a hunch who could be behind this.

"Humans can kill their best friends and still laugh about it! I know you think you can't do it, but I'm sure you could!"

"So, you're one of them too? You're like that?" Yusuke asked casually.

"Yes!" His voice shook harder; he was on the verge of a breakdown. "We all are!"

Yusuke sucked his teeth as he bent over to pick up the chair he kicked. Setting it straight, he spoke. "You know, I asked Kuwabara while he was still half-conscious why he let you live. You know what he said?"

The boy didn't respond, but the fact he didn't respond showed he cared some.

"He said that you looked like you were waiting for someone to help you. I laughed at the time but now, looking at you, I get why."

The boy grimaced, trying to hold back his tears, but they poured out like a faucet in seconds. He muttered to himself and I feared we'd pushed him too hard. If we still wanted progress, we would be better to let him calm down first.

"We should let him rest," I told Yusuke, who nodded and headed for the door. "I don't think we have to worry about him."

As the door clicked closed, Yusuke turned to me. "A tape that shows all the bad things humans have done? Sounds scary."

"I suppose," I replied. "Average humans wouldn't last watching it five minutes and even the sickest of youkai couldn't handle more than a few hours. I'm not surprised it changed his mindset."

Yusuke shuddered. "Stop, man. You're giving me the creeps."

"It's only one aspect of humans, but I'm not surprised that tape alone changed his outlook. Very few people in Reikai were allowed to handle that tape, let alone view it."

"See, you're just trying to scare me," Yusuke grumbled, shoulders tensing.

"I'm sorry!" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "By the way, I didn't tell you where I was yesterday. I went to see Koenma in Reikai."

"Why didn't you use one of the TVs or communicators instead?"

"I wanted to deliver the tunnel's location and… I had to see him." Yusuke waited eagerly for me to continue. "After what the boy said, it's getting clearer. Whoever stole the tape is behind this ordeal, and I think Koenma knows who stole it."

"_What_?!"

Before I could blink he was already down the hall and in the living room, opening Botan's silver briefcase and connecting to Koenma.

He yelled at the static screen as it fuzzed. "Ningenkai to Toddler, bitch! _Pick up_!"

Koenma answered immediately as I could feel a bead of sweat trickle my face.

"We want answers _now_ or I'm off the case! What the hell does this tunnel have to do with Chapter Black?!"

"Ah, so they use that video, huh?" Koenma nodded. "Makes sense, then."

"If you had suspects why didn't you tell us?! We were on a wild fuckin' goose chase!"

"We had no proof, and really, I had trouble admitting it may be the truth," Koenma mumbled.

I didn't think Yusuke could care less. "Start talking!"

He hesitated in speaking, but his tone was stern once he began. "We now believe the creator is Sensui, Shinobu. He was our last detective before you. He worked for us when he was in high school." The room grew silent as Koenma showed a picture of a teenage Sensui.

Yusuke's shoulders fell in shock at the news. "That looks like the guy I saw in Mushiyori…"

Koenma didn't seem surprised. "He disappeared over ten years ago and, presumably, took the video with him." We had no reply, and whatever else he wanted to tell us needed to be in person. "I'm coming to Ningenkai, Yusuke. Wait for me before you do anything."

Yusuke nodded before immediately shutting off the briefcase's screen. The atmosphere was heavy, uninviting of conversation with the news dealt to us.

After a moment, Yusuke turned to Botan. "What the hell?! Wouldn't you know about that guy?"

Botan, sitting next to Aiko and holding the ice pack on her face, perked up. "I haven't heard a thing about him!"

"You're the one who contacts Reikai detectives, aren't you?"

"You're the first there's been since I started this job!" she asserted and then mumbled. "Also there's the fact that I was hired as a _guide _and not as an assistant."

"So when it comes to Sensui…" I forgot, she said she'd only been with Reikai for maybe eight years, meaning the Sensui incident was even farther in Reikai's past.

"I don't know a thing!" She rubbed the back of neck with an apologetic smile.

"We'll just have to wait until Koenma arrives then," Genkai said, taking another sip from her tea.

Before anyone could agree, heavy, quick footsteps could be heard.

The four of us turned to see the hallway, finding Kuwabara rushing out of Yusuke's room without having put on pants. He seemed to not mind running to Botan in his underwear.

"Where's the fire, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked. "Is the kid gone? Did he jump out the window?!"

Kuwabara didn't reply. Instead, he headed for Aiko on the couch. Botan moved out of his way, falling off the couch and on her bottom.

He immediately grabbed Aiko's shoulders.

"Wake up!" he snapped, pulling her torso up to shake her violently. "Aiko, wake up!"

Not once had we assumed to wake her. Yusuke and I exchanged glances—was there a reason why she wouldn't wake?

The kid's comment immediately rang in my head again, asking if she was alive. She was breathing earlier when I held the pack to her face; I could feel her warm breath on the side of my hand.

"Kuwabara, what's wrong with her?!" Botan tried ripping him off her, but his grip stayed strong.

With a small gasp, she awoke. It took less than a second for her to start screaming.

"Get off me!" She bared her nails and began swiping blindly as she continued to scream. "_Get off me_!"

Kuwabara reared back and took Botan with him as he crashed to the floor. Aiko scrambled on the couch, confused, before cornering herself between the armrest and back cushion.

"The hell's going on?!" Yusuke looked between the two as I watched Aiko curl into herself, crying openly.

She held her hands out in front of her in scared marvel, breathing heavily as tears poured down her face.

"Why are you looking at your hands like that…?" Yusuke hissed, squinting at her in confusion as she held her face, touching it slowly. "The reiki didn't even spike that time."

"Aiko." I tried calmly, hoping to get through to her over the commotion.

Her lips only trembled as she began touching her hair. She pulled some strands over her shoulder to look at them with fearful scrutiny.

"We don't have time for a fucking amnesia plot, Aiko!" Yusuke snapped, genuinely worried.

"Kuwabara." Botan stood up and brushed herself off. "You better explain what this entire ruckus is!"

"She—" Kuwabara was cut short by Aiko's tone, one I'd never heard from her. It was small, fragile.

"I'm alive…" Her voice broke as her hands snaked up to her hair, and she raked her fingers through the brown strands. "I'm really alive?"

The child's words rang again in my head and I slowly stepped to the couch, bending slightly at the waist to put myself at eye level with her. I didn't suspect the kid would have gotten so far, now the reiki spike made sense…

"Why wouldn't you be?" The muscles in my throat tightened slightly, keeping my tone soft.

She looked up at me with red scleras, then to Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan.

"I—I… I died…" Her eyes hit the couch as she forced out the words. "My soul—it left my body!"

I looked to Botan, whose eyes were wide with shock and confusion. She quickly made her way to the couch, sitting in front of Aiko on the cushion. I knew as she looked at the brunette that she was mulling over Aiko's files in her mind—that she no doubt peaked at once before.

"What did it feel like?" Botan asked quietly, voice trying to sooth the girl's crying. "When your soul left your body."

"Like I was on fire," she hiccupped, shaking her head before curling into herself, pulling her knees to her chest. Her hands glowed blue briefly but she didn't seem to notice. "I drowned. I drowned in that fucking kid's water monster—I couldn't hold my breath long enough."

I looked to Botan. "She couldn't have died if she's still here. Once the soul leaves a body—"

Kuwabara mumbled from the floor. "I had to give her some of my reiki to make her soul go back inside."

Botan shook her head, hand gingerly placing itself over her mouth. No wonder she couldn't control the reiki…

"She couldn't have died—she's right here!" Yusuke snapped. "She didn't have to go through any trials I did!"

Botan looked to Yusuke. "That's because your soul was completely knocked out of your body—your body fully rejected your soul upon death because your death was instantaneous. I mean the fiery feeling isn't common, but it's still... something that _can_ happen in slow deaths..."

When the body's still fighting to live.

"It hurt so much," she cried. "There was no suction to keep my soul in my body, I was scared if I moved my legs—my soul legs from my real legs—I wouldn't have been able to go back in."

I let my gaze linger on Botan, who was assessing Aiko's story.

"Kuwabara, you gave her reiki?" she asked, to which he nodded. "Well…"

"What's so hard about it?" Yusuke asked, and though he sounded insensitive, he was only as confused as the rest of us. "Either she died or she didn't!"

Aiko cradled her face in her hands, and with the glow came sparks. She pulled away from her face and seethed in pain as Botan spoke.

"For your soul to leave your body you have to either do it voluntarily or your body has lost the reiki threshold it needs to keep the soul inside. Meaning… your soul can't stay... so…"

Aiko stood up, slowly, making sure she was balanced, and I moved out of her way. She quickly maneuvered past us to find the restroom.

"So… did she really die?" Yusuke asked, watching her walk down the hallway.

"Sounds like a near-death experience," Genkai interjected dismissively.

She didn't mean to sound rude, but she knew we had more immediately pressing matters to tend to. I couldn't help but keep my gaze at the hallway, waiting for her to return.

"Your body only rejects your soul when you're dying…" Botan mumbled, eyes lying on the cushion she sat on. "And if there's no suction to keep the soul inside…"

"Well, her health has always been pretty shitty, right?" Yusuke reasoned. "So maybe it was just like 'fuck it!' and tried shoving her out early?"

"I'm going to have to agree with Genkai's point, Botan," I said. "If she died, she wouldn't be able to return to her body without the help of Reikai."

Yusuke didn't respond, and Kuwabara, with his jaw still clenched, looked away from us. When we heard a door click down the hallway, Yusuke headed after her, disappearing around the corner.

After a few moments of silence and thought, Botan spoke.

"Maybe you're right!" She gave a sad smile. "Maybe it was a near-death experience. I mean… her files never alluded to a death so soon or like this…"

We all knew Reikai's files held no real credibility at this point.

"She said her legs were still attached," I reasoned, to which Botan nodded her head slowly. "Her body was still holding on."

She said nothing more, worry plain on her face. We stood in silence for a moment, everyone mulling over the possibilities by themselves, knowing the point was moot… but it was still unnerving.

"I couldn't hear her heartbeat over mine in my ears. It was like it wasn't even there," Kuwabara grumbled, crossing his legs. "I didn't know what to do, so I just zapped some reiki in her, thinking she may still have had a heart beat."

My jaw unclenched at his words as I remembered the day we spent in Maze Castle—when Kuwabara gave reiki to a lethargic Yusuke.

"Kuwabara." My voice was low from awe and gratitude as I looked down to him. He glanced up to me. "Your timing is impeccable."

"Timing?" He stood up. "What do you mean?"

He made it in time to force enough reiki into her body, letting her soul return just before it was _forced_ out.

Before I could reply, I heard her soft footsteps behind me. I turned to find her rounding the corner of the hallway with her face and hair damp, and Yusuke waiting at the corner.

She made her way to Kuwabara and stopped in front of him. She bowed deeply at the waist in gratitude and he quickly became flustered at the gesture.

"No, really!" He waved his hands around, panicked. "I would have done it for anyone, come on! You don't have to be so formal…"

"No, I truly mean it," she said, voice tired as she straightened. "Thank you, Kazuma."

We watched her hands patiently, waiting for sparks to fly or reiki to flourish, but nothing appeared.

"So… has anything else happened?" she asked slowly.

Yusuke looked at me before nodding to the table, where we gathered and waited for Koenma.

It took us only minutes to explain what happened over the course of the past few hours. Yusuke left halfway through and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me to finish explaining what we learned before she woke up.

When I finished, it took her a moment to respond as if she wasn't fully there throughout the explanation.

"Didn't I say they could open it faster if they wanted?" she mumbled, looking down at the empty table.

I didn't want to bring up the possibility that at some point the tunnel could just begin opening itself with how long they've been working on it, because the possibility she brought up was still a valid point. I instead nodded, letting her have the peace of thought.

"At least we know where they are, so we can go down today and stop them," Kuwabara said, to which Aiko gasped loudly, sitting upright.

Reiki glowed around her hands.

"Today… What time is it?" Scared eyes darted between us, and I replied.

"About three o' clock."

The ki died and her face fell. Her hands found their way to her forehead and she leaned her elbows on the table. "Oh my god… I missed class. My dad is going to _kill_ me…"

"I don't know if I can time it right again," Kuwabara mumbled to himself as her voice began crumbling with each syllable.

"I'm dead. I might as well have been left in the street. Oh my god…"

"You'll be fine," I reassured her. "I'm sure you can create a story that Kuwabara can back up."

"Yeah, dad," she scoffed, shaking her head. With each word her voice became quieter until I could barely hear the last syllable. "Hey, I got attacked by some water monster last night and died for maybe two minutes. Sorry, won't happen again."

"Here," Yusuke said, setting a bowl of cereal in front of her, and one for Kuwabara. "And I'm not interested in hearing about how you're not hungry."

We weren't surprised when she didn't respond and Kuwabara began shoveling food in his mouth.

"And I'm not taking the silent treatment either," he said, planting his hands on the table and bending down to look at her face. With a dejected sigh, he knew he couldn't win; he stood up again and slid the bowl to Kuwabara. "Whatever."

The doorbell rang, and we all thought it was strange how he arrived so quickly, but the soft footsteps and feminine voice that came with it only signaled Shizuru.

As Yusuke disappeared in the kitchen again, Shizuru stepped into the living room. She wasn't surprised to see everyone here. She made her way to Kuwabara first, who looked up to her, chewing. He grunted and nodded to her, and she eyed the bandages over his face.

"How're you feeling, Kazu?"

He swallowed the food and gave her a wide grin. "I got my reiki back and everyone's alive so… I'd say 'good'!"

She cupped his chin in her hand and turned his head around slightly, eyeing the injuries on his face. "Someone did you in _good."_

He gave her a thumbs-up. "You should see the other guy!"

"He here?"

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, he's in Urameshi's room."

Shizuru then looked over to Aiko, who hadn't even looked up at the guest. Shizuru eyed the girl before her brows furrowed.

She frowned. "How're you holding up, Aiko?"

The girl didn't respond and continued looking down at the table.

"Shame," Shizuru sighed before turning on her heels and heading down the hall. "She was really convincing herself last night was going to be a good one, too."

Botan squeaked when she saw Shizuru heading to Yusuke's room and quickly headed after the older Kuwabara. The younger continued eating and Aiko continued to fall deeper into her head as the smell of meats and spices wafted from the kitchen into the living room.

Kuwabara continued filling himself up on the cereal and still had room for more as Yusuke brought out large bowls of yakisoba. Both Kuwabara and Aiko received one, and even though the girl didn't respond to the bowl being set in front of her, Yusuke didn't pass it off to Kuwabara. *****

A familiar male's voice came from the hallway. "If only you were as proficient in your job as you are in the kitchen, Yusuke."

Our gazes turned to see Koenma in his professional form walking into the living room. Yusuke didn't seem to care how he was let in.

"You turn into your adult form and suddenly think you're slick," Yusuke snorted, taking his seat on the other side of Aiko. "Let's try it without the pacifier this time."

Koenma ignored the boy as he seated himself at the far end of the table.

Yusuke wanted Koenma to start talking, Kuwabara was interested… but more interested in regaining his strength, Genkai didn't seem to care where we should start, and Koenma almost seemed ashamed to open his mouth.

With the way the Prince's face stayed indifferent, stiff, I knew I had to begin the conversation. "I can't believe the enemy was on our side at one time."

Yusuke sucked his teeth at the thought.

"So what made him change?" I asked. "Why does he seek to kill the ones he defended for so long?"

His features softened slightly, thankful I gave him something to work with and ease into.

"Even though he had a great sense of justice," the Prince replied. "He had a very… black-and-white view of the world."

I watched his eyes drift to Aiko, who was still inside herself.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with her hearing this?" Koenma asked, eyes darting between Yusuke and I.

Yusuke grinned as I found myself looking down at her.

"Aiko?" I tried getting her attention.

"Aiko?" Yusuke called, waving his hand in front of her face. No response. "She's not even listening."

With a small, unconvinced sigh, Koenma continued. "Sensui was really sensitive to spirits. He'd spent his childhood defending himself from stray, evil spirits and youkai that could come through. They became the enemy early on."

His eyes stayed on her, not wanting a regular human to hear about Reikai's darker mistakes.

"She'd get it out of me if she really cared anyway, Koenma." Yusuke shrugged. "Come on, chop-chop."

"There's a reason he changed…" His gaze changed from Aiko, slowly, to Yusuke. "It was one of my orders and we can even say that was the last mission he did for me. He was ordered to close another tunnel that had opened."

Yusuke perked up, as did Kuwabara, who set his chopsticks in the empty bowl.

"The same as us…" Kuwabara mumbled.

"The tunnel wasn't too big at the time, only about ten meters, which only let feeble youkai through. The culprits were those hired by the Black Black Club, who at the time were raking in profits through youkai trafficking." He folded his arms across his chest. "The specialist at finding those youkai, at the time, was Sakyo."

All of us stiffened at the name, except Genkai, who snorted a short, dry laugh.

As he continued, he dredged up a part of his past he was ashamed of.

* * *

**Aiko.**

_"You wouldn't mind it happening, you know? And then it happens and you see everything around you and then suddenly you kind of mind."_

I was stuck on those words. They bounced around in my head, drifting in the darkness.

I joked a lot about killing myself. I made light of suicide like it was a fashion trend about to end because I never really had the guts to do it, no matter how much I actually wanted to.

My personal self-harm, stemming from multiple past issues to the point where I couldn't even pinpoint why anymore, was not eating.

Words from an unfamiliar voice fuzzed in and out, briefly interrupting my thoughts. _"Capturing youkai to sell them as, what most statistics revealed, bodyguards." _They didn't really hold meaning or context, but I could hear them through the thick fog.

But my head prevailed and I was drawn back in again because… finally reaching what I thought I wanted for just a moment last night, even short-lived, was unsettling… to put it _lightly._

In the beginning, for whatever reason, you knew you deserved it. You deserved that hunger, you deserved to turn down meals, to run that extra mile or do that extra rep. You deserved that extra bit of punishment, whatever it was.

It was a lie, really, because nobody deserves to hate themselves, but you believed the lie. It wasn't a lie to you—even when some days you came upon the realization it was, it still just... _wasn't_ a lie.

And in the beginning, it was a victory. Every pound dropped, every inch off, was a score for you.

For a long time, to you, it was a victory.

_"He created the trafficking. Once I got wind a large transaction would be enacted in the mountains, I sent Sensui and his comrade Itsuki on the job. Sakyo wasn't using Toguro as a bodyguard… It's one of the reasons the mission was successful." _The name was familiar, it thinned the fog some. I heard it before, but I couldn't bring myself out of the haze.

Victories are wanted, desired, cherished, and validating. Every victory was that for a long time until you realized the reality of your life.

Even then it was a victory… and yet you still lost.

_"He saw something on the mission… something his black and white mind had trouble processing. A compilation of all the evil sides of human beings."_

I almost wish I didn't have to be on death's doorstep to really let it sink in.

I was tired of lying to myself, selling myself short… I refused to lose.

_"It was… A torture chamber of sorts. One used for… pleasure."_

Torture. Pleasure.

The words sunk in and the context next, and with a heavy trickle of disgust traveling down my spine, the fog cleared. I could see the bowl of cold yakisoba I'd been staring at. The words woke me up cold, slapped me out of the conscious black-out.

I looked for the source of the voice around the table, the only person in the room I'd never met before. He sat next to Yu, at the end of the table, adorning what very well could have been sixth century Italian renaissance clothing. An English writing of the suffix "Jr." was tattooed on his forehead, and he let a pacifier lie in his mouth without shame.

"A _torture_ chamber used for _pleasure_?" Kazuma repeated, confused.

Through gritted teeth, I found my voice. "Sadism."

I could feel multiple pairs of eyes on me, surprised I'd come out of that little trance. What was once an empty sort of feeling inside me was now replaced with disgust and anger.

"They got a hard-on from—" Kurama's hand hovered in front of my mouth, and I stopped talking.

I watched the stranger stare me down, and I returned the gaze without shame as I tried to figure who he was. The pacifier, the elegant silk scarf, the royal blue embroidery on the cuffs of his periwinkle blouse…

Yu said the Prince was a _toddler, _not a grown, infantalized freak. But right now he was all I could expect—no. Maybe all of Reikai's higher-ups dressed this nice.

His eyes drifted to my hands that glowed a lustrous blue. "Do you think she should—"

"I'm fine," I replied simply, focusing on the energy in my hands like I had in the bathroom.

I tamed it quickly, remembering how to channel my reiki like I had with the ring. If I didn't stay conscious of it, it would spark again, but I wasn't too scared since I knew I could get the hang of it soon.

His gaze lingered on me still as the reiki died down. I could feel just how uncomfortable he was with me at the table.

"That…" Kazuma's voice came next, bringing them back to the subject. "That sounds like when we went to Tarukane's mansion."

The man nodded and looked to Kazuma, and then to Yusuke. "There's a fundamental difference between the two of you. Sensui killed everyone in the room. He developed a sort of passion for the tape he took with him and resented humans. He looked for evil in everyone."

"Ugh, I have a problem with guys like that," Yu groaned. "They go from one extreme to another."

"That's why this time I chose a detective who was a little less responsible."

"That makes total sense," Kurama feigned a gasp, which brought a grumble from Yu and a small smile from the red-head.

"Can it, Kurama."

I reeled over the words I'd caught, tried putting them into context and expanding on it from what Kurama briefed me on earlier, and all I could do was become angrier and angrier.

"One last thing," the man said. "Once he begins something, he finishes it."

"I have a question." I turned to the brunet official, who stared blankly at me. Yu repressed a wide grin, tongue in cheek.

The man nodded his head gently. "I'm assuming you're Miss Hojo, Aiko."

Fuck his nod. "Why wasn't this _Sakyo_ arrested?"

Yu snickered since he saw the question coming. The stranger tried speaking, but my spite wouldn't die.

"If he was, why was he… why did he only get so little a sentence for that? A fucking murderer, a _trafficker_—"

"Aiko—" Kurama was cut off by the man.

"Sakyo was the alleged ringleader, but we had no witnesses to attest he was present at the transaction and Sensui had disappeared. In the end, we had no proof. The entire case was a bust."

"But you could send the fucking SDF after _him_, can't you?" I jabbed my thumb at the red-head next to me. "Can't do a damn thing to _really_ get border patrol off his ass but you let that fucking scum walk free."

"I do not have control of the SDF or _border patrol_."

My voice rose. "You Reikai idiots focus on people like Kurama but can't go after a fucking trafficker?! Someone who wants to open a _portal?!"_

"Aiko, it's not the Prince's fault," Kurama said calmly, and I paused and stared at the man and his royal attire.

The Prince coughed into his fist, and I began stammering.

"I'm—I—" I didn't want to apologize.

So fucking what he was the Prince of Reikai? Why couldn't he do his job and get people for the right reasons? How could they expect me to apologize about something so infuriating?

I continued to fumble out an attempt, but it clearly wasn't going to happen. Kurama stepped to the plate.

"She's trying to say 'I'm sorry'."

I looked down to my hands that rested on the table, finding a darker blue glow and wild, lighter sparks wafting around my hands in a fluid motion. Like a fuse about to blow, the glow grew darker and the sparks begged to be let free. I had to tame it again before I let my reiki go; I couldn't risk passing out right now.

"It's alright." The Prince was blasé as I concentrated on pulling the reiki back inside.

Kurama and Yu immediately turned around in their chairs, looking out the window. I followed suit when the ki died, curious. I looked at the building across from Yu's, but I couldn't see anything…

"What?" Kazuma asked, not moving from his spot.

"Sensui," Yu replied with a grumble.

Kurama and Yu instantly stood from their seats and ran to the balcony's glass door and Kazuma, with his sixth sense returned, had to have felt something amiss. He jumped out of his chair and sprinted to the hallway.

"Mitarai's in danger!"

Who was Mitarai…? The fucking kid who drowned me?

"Let his ass die!" I screamed after Kazuma.

Heavy footsteps carried down the hallway, and just seconds later glass shattered in the other room. Feeling returned in my legs when I heard the crash and I could feel the same fear from last night returning. It was fight or flight and I'd better take flight again.

But where? Outside, where the enemy was?

"That bastard's grumbling about something," Yu growled.

"Apparently, he's been giving Mitarai free reign," Kurama replied. "He wanted to get us together."

I stood up, finding my way next to the Prince and situating myself near the comforting, thick cement walls.

"You can hear him?" Yu asked.

"Something like that," he replied. Just seconds later, Kurama picked up on something again. "A person with the ability they're looking for?"

"What's he talking about?" Yu then turned to me. "You were there last night—do you remember anything?"

I shook my head, trying to remember back. "I… All I know is that kid was hell-bent on Kazuma—he knew who Kazuma and I were. He was there at the nature conservation area."

"Toss-up between Aiko and Kuwabara," Yu said, looking at Kurama.

"Kuwabara." Kurama nodded. "Unless there's something special you've recently gained besides a new bout of reiki you can't control."

I shook my head. "No, no. He's definitely after Kazu—"

Kazuma came out of Yu's room, sliding on a pair of pants, and ran for the front door.

"Wait, Kuwabara!" Yu screamed, running after him. "You need to rest, you idiot. You're injured!"

I was the only one out of the loop because in just seconds, Genkai was sucking her teeth in irritation and the Prince was biting down on that godforsaken pacifier. The pair began walking out of the living room, headed after Yu and Kazuma, and Kurama, now with a grim expression, began walking to join the group outside.

I grabbed his uniform jacket, gripping the cerise polyester sleeve tightly.

"Well?" I snapped. "I have no way to tell what's going on and all anyone's doing is running off or sucking their teeth. What's happening?"

He paused before turning back to me. He guided me to the wall, pulling me away from the glass, and I rested my back against the safe concrete.

"You need to get our families to safety now," he said quietly. "Prolong the demise."

Shocked, my grip on his sleeve loosened. My stomach churned—I didn't want to call. Fear gripped hold of my throat, and I had to force out my reply as the glow and sparks returned, traveling up his sleeve. He didn't seem fazed by the ki's touch.

"But… I thought we had time before—"

"Yesterday we found we only had a week left," he replied.

"Then it's fine—we have plenty of time!"

"We had two weeks just days before," he said. "With the rate the tunnel's expanding, it could open—"

I choked on the word, cutting him off. "Tonight…"

My eyes fell to the ground. I didn't… have time to truly prepare… I could make something up but… I really, really, _really_ didn't want to face my dad. Not after missing class…

"Aiko." His voice pulled my eyes from the ground to his. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if I thought you couldn't."

"It's not that," I laughed hoarsely and then cleared my throat. "I can do it… I can do it. I _will_ do it." My fingers loosened from his sleeve and wrapped around his forearm. I tried to tame the reiki and pull it back inside me. "Because this is like the big showdown, right? I _have_ to do it."

He nodded, and a new fear crept into my nerves as I found my hand grabbing for his. I could feel the hardness of his bones as my thumb rubbed the top of his hand nervously. I concentrated best I could, keeping my ki calm.

His voice was calm and had no intonation to soothe my worry. "Everything will be fine but for precaution, I'm counting on you."

With a deep breath, I nodded curtly. "When this is over, bring everyone back alive. I want everyone alive… I want you back alive."

His hand moved from mine and hovered over the nook of my neck, and despite still being overloaded from last night, I knew this could be the last time I'd see him.

I nodded quickly, and his hand rested gently on my neck, thumb pressed gently under my chin. I could feel the slight pulse from his thumb, and he could feel the fast beating of my heart from my jugular. I knew if I wasn't so scared of the phone call I had to make I would have appreciated the way his thumb gently, briefly, rubbed the beating skin.

Voice still calm to combat my racing heart, he spoke as he pulled away. "The same goes for you."

I watched him leave the living room, and I stared down the now empty hallway that led to the front door. Closing my eyes tight, I pushed away my fear—pushed away the frantic thoughts, the heat in my face.

Think, Aiko, think. How can you get them out of here? Tell them the truth? What proof did you have to make them believe you? Frustrated, thoughts driven by anxiety and derailing any possible plan, I took a deep breath and slapped my palms against my cheeks. _Think_!

Pain came quickly, sparking around my cheek bone, and I seethed and pulled my hands away from my face. As the stinging lingered, I knew what I had to do. I instantly searched the apartment for a phone, finding the white savior on the kitchen counter.

I knew how to get my family to leave, and I knew if I kept this plan rolling I'd conjure a way to get Shiori and the Hatanaka's out too.

My fingers hovered over the buttons, shaking violently in fear of talking to my dad. I quickly dialed my home number and let my emotions take over. They were real, and I was truly scared of hearing a voice on the other line. I knew if I wanted this to work, I had to really put on a show.

They were going to kill me for this…

When nobody picked up, there was a small speck of relief that flourished in the pit of my stomach, but I immediately redialed. Again, after a few rings, it went to voice-mail.

Okay. Okay. Just… just use this on Shiori and Hatanaka. Try my family again after, call dad at work…

Thankfully, praising the gods for the convenience, the Minamino household didn't have caller ID.

I waited patiently as the line rang, jitters still shaking me.

After the third ring, Shiori picked up. "Minamino residence."

"Shiori!" I choked out her name; thankful real fear was still pumping through my body. At least everything would sound genuine.

I could feel the heat of my reiki on the phone and I quickly beckoned the glow to return inside.

She sighed and pulled away from the phone. "Mr. Hojo! She's on the phone! She's called!"

My blood ran cold, the chill hit my face first and then trickled down to my shoulders. He was out looking for me. He left work to look for me. He was going to kill me.

Reiki surged out of my hand, zapping me in the face. I cursed and pulled away from the phone but—despite my better judgment—pulled it back when I heard Shiori's voice.

"Aiko, dear, what happened?! Why didn't you go home last night? Where are you?"

"Something _really_ bad happened last night." My voice trembled, and I found myself leaning against the counter to help me stand.

I tried concentrating on my ki, pulling it back inside so I didn't burn my face off.

My dad was the one who responded; fear lodged in my throat the way it did last night. "Better tell me what the hell it was and hope it was worse than what you're going to get when you come home."

"Something…" I hiccupped, feeling the familiar sting in the bridge of my nose. "Really, really, _really_ bad happened, dad." My hand found its way to my forehead as warm water spilled down my cheeks. "We got jumped—these thugs came out of nowhere and—"

"Why? Did you fucking open your mouth again?!"

"No! No, they picked a fight with _us_. They just came out of nowhere!"

"And?"

"I… We…" Shitshitshitshit… "We were shoved in a van…"

He paused, shocked, debating whether I was that desperate to lie. I was, but it was a half-truth… I mean, something _really_ bad _really_ did happen last night…

"…Where are you?" he growled.

"We made it out… we made it out and…"

"Where. Are. You?"

"I found an airport," I paused, remembering the name. "Misawa Airport."

"Wha—" His voice broke, cutting off abruptly, stopping him from screaming into the phone at me. After a few seconds, he spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm on my way."

"There's a lot of us, though…"

"Have they called their fucking parents to come pick them up?"

"They're not picking up their phones…"

I could hear Shiori's muffled voice on the other end, and then she came on the phone. "How many are there, dear?"

"Uh… there's five of us total."

"Alright, I'll drive. Kazuya can stay here and watch Minoru and Shuuichi."

It was then I knew if I didn't divulge something, open myself even briefly, this wouldn't work. My voice continued to tremble. I couldn't bring myself to speak.

All I could muster was her name in broken a pitch, both from fear and feeling the heat from my hand again. "Shiori?"

"Yes?"

I tried calming myself and pulling my ki back inside before I stung myself again. "Please… can you please… Please bring everyone."

She paused, surely confused. "Is there a reason?"

"The more people there are, like the more kids… the less likely he'll…"

I couldn't do it. I couldn't say it. She could hear my trembling, hitched breathing. It was probably the only reason she agreed.

"Alright, dear. We'll all be there soon. Do you want to file a police report when we get there?"

My heart spiked at the thought and I quickly maintained the heat from my hand. The glow didn't even think about surfacing.

I shook my head. "No! It'll only escalate the situation. Besides… we don't know what they looked like."

She sighed. "We'll be there soon, dear."

"Can I talk to my dad?"

When she replied yes, she passed the phone off to my dad, who was far from happy to speak to me. "What?"

I had to be careful with my diction. I hesitated, so long that he was becoming impatient.

With a deep breath, calming myself, I told all I could. "When you get there… trust your gut."

He paused, and I could imagine the confused look on his face. "The fuck does that—"

I hung up, slamming the phone into its holster. With one deep exhale, and another inhale to match, I quickly thought of how to get to Misawa. Picking up the phone, I dialed the first number that came to mind.

Jitters gone, fear and fate accepted, it was easy to keep my ki under control. When the ringing stopped, I didn't bother waiting for a response. I dove straight in.

"I need to get to Misawa Airport."

But the voice that replied was not whose I wanted.

"When the fuck did you and Hitomi become ass buddies, Aiko?" Natsume.

I did _not_ want to talk to Natsume.

Soft footsteps, then Shizuru's fleeting figure passed by the kitchen. I pulled away from the phone, watching her run down the hallway.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" I called after her.

"He's my brother! Take cover, Aiko!" she called back, not even bothering to stop.

"Sounds like some excitement!" Even with the phone about a foot from my ear, I could still hear Natsume's signature cackle.

If I was going to get to Misawa, I had to go through Natsume.

Fuck it.

"I know everything about the tunnel and its creator," I said, putting the receiver back to my mouth. "Come pick me up. Take me to Misawa Airport. I'll tell you everything I know."

She paused, hesitant, and then giggled like a school girl. "Just in time. Meet me at the salon. I'll pick you up."

I hung up and instantly and booked it for the exit. I picked up my boots near the front door and began hopping on one foot to put them on and zip them up, and I was lucky to get as far as I had. A powerful blast of reiki surged behind me, exploding, and the heavy winds picked me up and flew me down the hall.

My body tumbled on the cement, rolling to the edge of the hall near the staircase, and I shielded my face from the flying debris. Despite the sharp pain in my shoulders and back, I cursed and pushed myself up slowly to keep balance before running back to the destroyed apartment.

"Botan!" I called, feeling my throat sting from last night. I only screamed louder into the heavy clouds. "_Botan_!"

No response. What should I do? If I go back in there, I could be in another blast like that… I had no way to tell if there was even anything left with all this smoke in the room—Shizuru.

Shizuru! Shizuru left. Maybe if I could find her, she could help. She had a knack for premonition.

I left the cloud of debris and began on my way again, running down the flight of stairs that were riddled with large chunks of cement from not only the apartment but the ledges in the hallway. I found Shizuru sitting against the stairwell on the third floor.

"Shizuru!" I steadied myself as I ran down the steps, almost tripping over a large piece of cement.

Her injuries from the surrounding damage were noticeable. At this point, I knew I would have to give up the ride. I couldn't leave them like this.

"Let's go," I said with a heavy breath as I knelt in front of her. She was bruised, cut, and bleeding. "We're getting you and Botan to a hospital."

I reached to lift her arm over my shoulder, but she shook her head before trying to lean away.

With a tired voice, she ordered. "Go, Aiko."

"I can't leave you like this—"

"I'll live," she asserted with a deep breath. "It's just some flesh wounds."

"Just some _flesh wounds_!" I repeated in disbelief. "Look, it'll be fine. I can lose my ride. I already got everyone driving."

"Aiko, I know what you're supposed to do. I heard everything," she said with more force. "The reason he has you getting your families out is because he wants you away and safe too."

"But—"

"You have an obligation, Aiko. Fulfill it."

"Then you're coming with me. You and Botan are coming—"

"Aiko, my place is with my family, just like yours is. And my family is here."

"But Botan—"

"I'm sure Botan's fine," she sighed. "She knows how to avoid death like no other."

I didn't want to leave her. I didn't want to leave—what if she died? What if she died after I left? I could have helped—it would've been on me. I couldn't leave her.

She lifted her hand and set it on my shoulder, using just enough strength to squeeze it tight.

"I'll live. I know I will," she reassured me as my throat tightened. "I'm just hurt. I'll be fine. Go fulfill your end of the bargain."

I suppressed even more tears at this point: anger, stress, disbelief—a plethora of emotions. I wanted to cry and scream, but now wasn't the time.

Unfortunately, my voice couldn't hide my emotions… and neither could my hands since they began glowing again. "But Botan—"

She gave me a thin smirk as she watched the ki die. "I'll check on Botan, just let me rest…"

"_Rest_ as in _die_…"

She gripped tighter, proving she would survive, and let her smirk fall to a frown. "_Go_."

I stood up and ran, pushing myself despite wanting to stop and rest. I had no time to waste and the physical pain was easier to focus on than the guilt. I was out of breath by the time I arrived to the salon, finding a black limousine parked in front of the building.

I ran to the back door and opened it, and Natsume and her henchwomen were scattered about the back seats that faced each other. Natsume and Hayashi's backs faced the oncoming road, and Fukui sat behind the passenger seat, facing them.

"I figured since we have such a long drive ahead of us, I'd pick out my new toy," Natsume cooed, eyes closed as she massaged the towel over her damp hair. "A newly renovated nineteen seventy-three Mercedes-Benz six hundred Pullman Landaulet."

Unless she was going to buy me one—"I could _not_ care less."

I sat myself in the seat nearest the door I entered, and slammed it behind me.

"Oh my gosh, Aiko." Hayashi was the first to speak. "What happened to your face?"

Fukui didn't say anything and merely stared at the cut bottom lip and bruise that traveled along the apple of my cheek and around my eye.

"Holy shit." Natsume's brows rose in surprise at the unsightly bruise. "The f—"

"We need to get to Misawa Airport, _now_," I interrupted, and Natsume paused before shrugging.

"Lock the doors, Sosuke," Natsume called through the open partition, and he pressed the auto lock.

A shuffle of clicks sounded around us as he pulled into traffic.

"I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know," she said simply, returning to drying her hair. "But the drive to Mushiyori is pretty long so I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to catch up before we get to business."

I paused, letting the words sink in.

"What? No. I said _Misawa_. Misawa Airport!"

Massaging the towel around her head still, she cocked her head back and spoke with blithe nonchalance. "Why the hell would I go to Misawa when the tunnel is opening in Mushiyori?"

"Why the hell would you go to _Mushiyori_?!"

Her arms paused and she looked down at me, cracking some shit-eating grin. I was lucky enough to hide my new bout of ki from surfacing despite the anger bubbling around in my stomach and blood pulsing in my ears. I wanted nothing more than to punch her teeth into her throat, but my seething rage only pushed my gaze on Fukui, who stared blankly at me.

She was right.

* * *

**A/N:**

***** _Yakisoba_ is stir-fried ramen style noodles with meats, vegetables, etc.

Thanks to _LadyEllesmere_, _OhhTaylorJade_, _hollyandthediamonds, YuYuHakushoObsesser,_ and a guest for reviewing last chapter, and then everyone who's followed and faved. Muah.

I've wanted to get to these chapters for _so_ long. I know it's been a long ride but trust me, if I didn't put Aiko through everything I have already, she wouldn't survive what she's about to get into. ;)


	8. Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But

**Noboru.**

I watched the price rack up on the counter, increasing at a far faster rate than the gallons. There was a reason not a damn person in Japan drove long distances: these fucking gas prices. Tongue in cheek, I suppressed the urge to drive ahead and get to the airport so I could smack her into next week.

Fucking knew I shouldn't have let her go to that damn concert.

Something was suspicious. After all these years she finally wants to jump in a crowd of grown men and _rock out_? Yeah, right. She was up to something and I let her in it. I should have known better.

"If we get on the expressway we'll get there in a couple of hours," Hatanaka said, coming up next to me. "The traffic should be fine for most the ride on the expressway and it's like a straight shot to Aomori Prefecture."

I nodded, watching the price continue to rise as I thought about the toll for the expressway to Misawa. "How much did it cost to fill your tank?"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" he laughed, waving off the implication.

"Hatanaka, I'm serious. How much did it cost?"

He paused and his laughter died out. He gave me a small, apologetic smile. "We can talk about it after we get everyone home and safe, Hojo."

There was no point in arguing with him so I knew I had to bring it up again later.

"Let us know when you're ready to pull out," he said, turning back towards his car.

Kaede's small hand found its way to my forearm and she gripped it tightly, shaking it desperately for my attention. I turned to her, expecting to see her facing me, ready to sign, but her other hand pointed to the sky.

In the far distance, far past our home, stood a giant pillar of what I could only assume to be dark light with the way it had a faint glow around the edges. It was thin, just a bit bigger than the lines on a paper, and surrounded by a pool of dark, looming clouds in the sky. But to be able to see the line from this distance, when it was actually far away…

I looked around the gas station but nobody seemed to notice it. I would've heard about something like that being built.

"Hatanaka," I called to him, not bothering to look over my shoulder. "Do you know what the weather's supposed to be like?"

He came up next to me, stopping behind the pump.

"Here or Misawa?" he asked, looking out at the sky.

I stared the line down, watching the clouds slightly sway around its base. The eye of a storm almost, as if they were the pillar's support. "Here."

"Well, oh…" he paused, cupping his chin. "There are some black clouds in the distance, huh? The news didn't say anything about rain. Looks like a storm's coming."

The pump clicked hard, forcing my grip off the handle.

"Think I left some windows open." I shrugged, taking the nozzle out.

Hatanaka gave a hearty chuckle. "I'm sure it'll pass right by us and hit another town. It's so sunny here, don't worry."

I forced a laugh as I put the nozzle back in its holster. "Yeah, hope so."

Hatanaka returned to the car with his fiancé, and I eyed the pillar for a moment more before signing to Kaede.

"_He can't see it._"

She frowned. "_I don't think anyone can…_"

"_What do you think it is?"_

"_I don't know,_" she paused, looking at the strange pillar of dark light. _"Something… wrong. That shouldn't be there."_

_"Let's not worry about it right now…"_

I patted her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before gesturing for her to get back in the car. It wasn't until I put the keys in the ignition and decided to look in the backseat that I found Minoru watching the clouds out the rear window.

He wrapped his arms around the head rest of his seat, looking on with interest.

I remembered the evening he was in the hospital. My eyes had been glued to his blankets but from the corner of my eye, before he finally woke up, I could have sworn I saw something glowing over him. At the time, I figured it was the salt water clouding my vision, blurring my sight.

I never told Kaede about it. I didn't think much of it until now.

"Minoru, what are you looking at?" I asked, watching him from the rear view mirror.

"Hm?" He glanced over his shoulder to me briefly and then turned back to the window. "Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

He looked back at me in surprise with wide brown eyes. "Do you see it too, then? That big, dark pillar of light?"

I hid the confused frown I wanted to make. "Yeah, do you know what that is?"

Kaede was watching me now, eyes darting back and forth between my lips and the mirror to see her son.

He shook his head. "No."

"Are you lying?"

"No," he said, voice pitched with innocence.

He didn't know. I knew he didn't. At this point I just wanted to remind him how it was wrong to lie to me. I didn't need another Aiko.

"Well, you lied just a minute ago."

He turned back to see the pillar, looking at the dark clouds surrounding it as I turned the keys.

The car started with a rumble as he replied. "Well, Sis always tries to hide weird stuff from me so I thought she'd want to hide it from you too."

I gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath to control my anger. The cassette tape picked up where it left off, and the English accent blurred into the background of my train of thought while I stared at the back of my son's head.

_When you get there… trust your gut._

* * *

**Aiko.**

It was dusk and we were in traffic—completely-to-a-stop-dead-no-movement-in-the-last-half-hour traffic. Sosuke actually turned the car off because there was no hope of moving. A small pile-up a couple of miles ahead accompanied with the overall traffic for Megallica's nearby concert was the news' diagnosis about twenty minutes ago before we decided to turn the car off and just wait for movement.

Natsume had yet to ask me about the information I promised her, had yet to even _talk_ to me. She was instead primping herself, doing her make-up and working what she could with her hair.

Her Nokia ten-eleven cellphone she let me use to call an ambulance and the fire department to Yu's place was now buried in the seat somewhere behind her as she curled her lashes.

There was a small, dull _thunk _from the window, grabbing all our attention. It was Hayashi who reacted first, turning to look out the window just as she finished brushing her hair. She squealed in disgust, backing away from the car door.

Outside the window was a large Makai insect: a grotesque, purple and green mutant fly from Mushiyori. It seemed to be alone, but that was still bad—more would soon spread out, more dangerous youkai would come. We had at least another hour to go and that wasn't including traffic.

"T-t-that's an insect youkai!" Hayashi snapped in disgust, taking me by surprise. "Sosuke! The windows are all closed, right?"

"Yes, Miss Ami," he replied calmly.

"Calm down, Ami. God," Natsume groaned. "It's just a fuckin' bug. I'll step on it if it comes in."

"I hate bugs, youkai or not—sometimes you can't even tell them apart. That's how _vile_ they are." Hayashi's nose scrunched in disgust and she turned to me as she spoke. "They are utterly disgusting."

"That's all that's crawling around Mushiyori," I said, hoping Hayashi would convince them to turn around.

I knew it wasn't going to happen, but damn it if I didn't try.

"We'll be fine," Natsume reassured Hayashi, who inhaled sharply and turned away from the window with her arms across her chest.

"I know. I'm just upset insects made their way through _again_. They're always the first."

Natsume sighed and returned to curling her lashes. "Since we're stuck in traffic and have plenty of time, let's catch up real quick."

Yeah, why the fuck not? You already blew my cover in Misawa.

"How's second year?" she asked, staring intently in her compact mirror.

"Same as first year, I guess." I shrugged. We really just started so I didn't have much to say. Other than the shit hole we were all put in, not much happened. "What about you guys?"

"College is amazing," she sighed dreamily, curling her other eye's lashes. "I swear you'll love it. So much more freedom than high school."

"What are you guys majoring in?" I turned to Hayashi first, who was staring out the other window watching with little interest the person in the car next to us.

When she felt my gaze on her, she perked up and smiled, disgust washed away clean. "Vocal performance and biology."

"Research or medical?"

"Medical," she replied. "I want to be a surgeon."

I grimaced, remembering the store incident. It wasn't that man's broken, bloody nose that made her uncomfortable.

I then turned to Fukui, who had stared at the floor with her head rested against the window for the last half hour.

"Business management and economics." Probably following in her father's footsteps.

I nodded and then turned to Natsume, who just finished with her lashes. She looked up to me with a small grin.

"I'm aiming to follow in my father's footsteps. I know I don't need a degree to be a broker, but I want all the opportunities that come with having a degree…" she paused and dug through her large purse that resembled a small duffle bag, pulling out a smaller make-up bag. "I'm double majoring in civil law and business management with a minor in psychology."

I nodded, only slightly surprised.

"My father just landed a deal with this _huge_ developer in New York City, which is why I'm handling this instead of him. We're headed there when this is finished." She smiled, excited and proud of herself as she pulled out a brown pencil and dropped the curler inside. "We'll attend the broker's open and hit the streets the morning after. The United States Economy _needs_ me, after all."

"He's selling a _building_?" I ignored her personal plans since I wasn't going.

"It's a brand new apartment complex and he's selling all the units." She nodded as she began outlining her brows.

I wasn't going to bother changing the subject. I didn't know much about the broking world and the topic kept me relatively sane in the idle car. "How much total?"

"Well, each unit on average is going for…" she paused, thinking. "About six point two."

"What?"

"Million," she replied. "In dollars."

I stared at her, shocked. I didn't know the equivalence rate between dollars to yen but that number…

"Hitomi, what's the exchange rate?" Natsume asked without looking at her.

Without missing a beat, still staring at the ground, the ebony haired girl replied. "About six hundred and forty million yen."

I had to collect my jaw from the floor. From just one apartment?!

"And his commission?" Natsume snickered, rubbing her finger under her eyebrows arch to wipe any stray line. "If there are fifteen units."

I was wondering why Natsume didn't bother doing the math but if Fukui was talented enough to spit out numbers like that, then why bother? Either she just already knew the numbers or she spent the last four months becoming a math whiz.

She was like a robot, monotonous and quick. "Excluding taxes, in yen, it's roughly two hundred and eighty-seven million yen." *****

I knew her family was fucking loaded but god…damn… He must have moved up in the industry even more, recently.

Natsume squealed in delight, kicking her feet and removing the pencil from her face to point it at me. "_That_ is why I want to go into real estate. My father is high-end and cut-throat and I'm going to become a fucking _shark_. Just. Like. Him."

I was almost willing to beg to be adopted. Then again, I could only hope to die now. I couldn't get in contact with my father yet. I'd have to wait until they arrived at Misawa and call to give them some half-assed lie, and at that point I could only hope the tunnel did open because if I didn't die by a youkai's hands it was going to be by his.

"I want to live in that cut-throat world," she sighed. "I want to get my broking license in the states too. Be in New York City—practically the best place for high-end real estate. To do that and take after my father here—" She pulled the pencil up to her brows again, continued filling them in, and repressed a smirk. "Anyway, that broker's open is where I'll start my connections, set my human related business in stone."

"Well, wait. If you're taking after your father's human business, is Isao taking after his Reikai business?" I asked.

She finished her brows and dropped the pencil in the make-up bag, setting it by her side. Her face was finished; all she needed to do now was her hair. But it could wait, it had to, because she straightened, sitting upright as she crossed one black-tights leg over the other.

"No, I want both. And I have two opportunities packed together in less than twenty-four hours to show my father I am capable of taking after him in both estates," she asserted as the engine started, pushing out a slow pop ballad from the radio. "He's given me permission to handle this case for him and I will prove I'm capable."

"Well, what about Isao? Does he just not care?"

Her features tensed and she gave a look of indifference before pursing her lips tight. When she finally opened her mouth to reply, her voice was heavy. "He doesn't, but I do. I want this."

The car dragged forward, and we began driving as my throat tightened.

She glanced out the window and muttered to herself, almost growling in determination. "I want this estate so bad." And she glanced back to me and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "With that said, the interrogation starts now."

I felt an eyebrow rise in curiosity. "So Mushiyori is your jurisdiction too?"

"No," she said with a sly grin. "But I'll have my request honored."

"You… didn't ask yet?" This fucking piece of shit pulled me out of Misawa on the off-chance she would be given coverage of this stupid issue.

She shook her head and sat upright, pinching her index and thumb together and dragging them to her sides to imitate some sort of zen relaxation. "I'm in no rush. I'm confident."

She was nervous.

"Start talking," she said simply, arms crossing over her chest.

"Tell me what you know already so I don't waste your time." Like you did mine.

"For unknown reasons, Reikai's former detective, Sensui, has made reappearance and decided to open a tunnel in the depths of Irima's Cave in Mushiyori," she stated. "What I want to know is why."

She practically had everything figured out, but I was able to answer her question.

I paused, gathering my thoughts, remembering what I heard at the table and what Kurama told me only a few hours before. "They said he had a video tape."

One filled-in eyebrow cocked up curiously. "Video tape?"

"'Black' something. Uh…" I paused, trying to remember the name as her brows furrowed together suspiciously. "Chapter Black."

She stiffened, and two new pairs of eyes landed on me. Hayashi and Fukui, who'd been more interested in the interior carpet floor, were now staring at me in disbelief in tune with Natsume.

"He used it to gain followers," I said, thinking back to the context of the conversation. "Because there are multiple people working with him. I think he used the tape to recruit them."

Natsume shuffled through her bag, pulling out a brush and a pair of sparkling, dangling diamond earrings.

"Get out of the way," she snapped, getting up from her seat. "Sit where I am. Lean against the doors, both of you."

Natsume and I switched seats as Hayashi asked Fukui if she'd mind. Fukui and I sat where they had once been, and I watched as Natsume feverishly brushed her hair. Anxious with a complimenting scowl on her face, she eyed the window next to her as she calculated what to do.

"He wants to open a portal because he stole that tape and saw what was on it?" she growled through pursed lips, the hooks of her earrings hanging between them.

I shrugged. "No... well, kind of? They said he saw something that made him snap, which was why he took the tape. A torture chamber."

She eyed me as she ripped the white hair tie off her wrist and began tying her hair up into a slick ponytail.

"Get against the doors, both of you," she snapped, eyes searching the floor as she shoved the earrings in.

Confused, still scarred from the last time I was pressed against a door by her, I obliged slowly. I figured she'd have to lunge at me to throw me out again so I'd have enough time to move.

"Roll up the partition, please," Natsume ordered, and the space that showed the front road and the back of Sosuke's head began disappearing as a black window rolled up. She stood up and moved away from her seat. "Initiate the call."

She leaned towards the partition and placed her hand on the tinted window. A soft blue glow emitted from her hand, reminiscent of the same energy I'd seen from myself at the dinner table just a while ago. Her reiki clung to the partition and spread across it, and Hayashi decided to let me in on a secret.

"Reikai is advanced in its technology," she said simply, primping her fringe with her nails. I now knew what Natsume meant by renovated. "The best in all three realms. Only one other place in all three realms could be considered our rival, and it's a King's territory in Makai."

Eventually, static hit the partition, covering the entire screen. …I really entered a sci-fi movie. First Botan's little mirror and now the _partition. _Maya would _flip_ if she ever saw this. Hayashi was entertained by my shocked, incredulous expression and continued to reassure me.

"The partition is like a two-way TV, Aiko," she giggled. "Akane merely pushed some reiki on it to make sure anyone who shouldn't see this can't."

I could see Fukui's lip twitch in my peripheral vision, and I watched her try to suppress an eye roll.

Satisfied with her faint reflection in the static screen, Hayashi dropped her hands in her lap. "If we were to wreck, break down, or run out of gas, and couldn't end the transmission, then we could still use it safely knowing the average person couldn't hear or see anything."

Voices sounded from the partition, and small, shadowed figures appeared on the screen one by one in their own little boxes. From my discolored angle, I couldn't make out faces or distinguishing features, but each voice was noticeably unique.

"Jurisdiction four." Older, gruff male voice.

"Eighteen." Younger, slightly nasal male.

"Twenty." Younger, calmer male.

"Jurisdiction two." Similar to that of twenty's, hard to tell apart until I noticed his lisp.

"Jurisdiction fi—Little Akane!" A female's voice, slightly pitched. "What are you…?"

Natsume and Hayashi sat straight as pins with their hands folded in theirs lap, reminiscent of a cliché boss in their office on the highest floor of their company's skyscraper.

"You all are the heads of your jurisdictions," Natsume said, voice firm and controlled. "I've called every head close enough to be immediately affected by what you all know as the tunnel of darkness that is opening."

"It's my jurisdiction and I've—" Jurisdiction four.

"I understand that, Mr. Matsumoto." She cut him off instantly. "I've called to make a request."

The man remained silent, and despite being unable to see the faces on the screen, I knew everyone was uncomfortable.

Natsume was noticeably nervous from my angle, where I could see her knuckles were turning white from pressure. But that anxiety disappeared instantly as she took one short breath, and she held her head high.

"As you all know, I have learned from my father even before I could speak. I have worked under his watchful eye and completed tasks successfully."

Matsumoto suppressed a groan. "Miss Akane, I understand where you're taking this but—"

"I'm requesting to be given coverage of this case."

The female voice sighed. "Akane…"

"From reliable outside sources, I've found information that changes the ballgame for us."

"We haven't even received notifications on who's handling the situation," the woman said, annoyed. "Special Defense Forces are on standby, so I'm wondering who was great enough to send out before them."

Natsume's eyes flickered to me, then back to the screen. "Reikai's current detective, Urameshi, Yusuke, has been given coverage of the case."

"I'll request the higher-ups to pull his files." Eighteen. "I don't think a child should be the one handling this. Prince's loyal servant or not, the SDF is far more capable of handling this."

"Go on, then, Akane. What other _useful_ information do you have?" Twenty.

Natsume looked to Hayashi briefly, who smiled and nodded encouragingly.

The brunette looked back to the screen. "As you know, our target is Sensui, Reikai's previous detective."

A few more sighs could be heard; they knew where this was going.

"Chapter Black disappeared when he did," she continued. "Officials argued to drop the case and not draw attention to the tape, some even refused to acknowledge a correlation between the two disappearances."

"While your information is appreciated…" Two. "Knowing Chapter Black is involved isn't helping your case, Miss Akane."

I could help, maybe… Should I? Would I rather Natsume show up, or other officials? Kurama would be there, I reminded myself. Would I rather have Natsume there, who never saw him fight at the tournament, or an official who did?

I didn't know what information I could give to persuade them. I dropped the first bit of info I figured may help, refraining from signing.

"Miss Akane, where is your father?" Eighteen.

I gestured for Hayashi's attention by nodding awkwardly, and once obtained, I dragged my index finger through the air. With slow strokes, I spelled out "prince."

"He's in New York City handling human business affairs," she replied. "He's given me reign over his estate while gone."

"What about Isao?" the woman asked.

Hayashi's brows furrowed as she looked at me, hoping I'd do it once more. I realized I wrote it backwards for her, as she was facing me. I dragged my finger through the air again, stroking out "prince" backwards and mouthing the word.

"He was uninterested in the case," she said. "I have taken over for the time of my father's brief absence."

She understood that time and quirked her head to the side, wondering if that would work. Wouldn't hurt to try.

Hayashi placed her hand on Natsume's knee and quietly asked. "May I?"

Natsume nodded and the blonde turned to the screen. "It's completely understandable that you all hold reserves on letting a younger, learning generation take control of this situation."

Two sighed. "More than _reserves_."

"But I'm almost positive you would not enjoy having to convince the Prince of Reikai, who will be present at the sight, to destroy the tape and those who saw it."

The screen hushed, and Matsumoto whispered. "'Those'? You mean…"

"Yes. _Those_." Natsume picked up then as all the voices erupted, frantically spouting questions. They hushed when she spoke again. "Sensui has been showing people the tape to recruit people to his cause. If you would like to be the one to argue your case in the defense against destroying that tape, I understand."

Matsumoto hesitated, but spoke finally. "And how would it look for a young, potential predecessor to argue this case?"

"Because I am a _young_ and_ hotheaded _potential predecessor." Natsume gave a toothy smile. "The notion will not be dismissed, but the reasoning behind it will be."

The screen was quiet again, as if they were all looking at each other to decide what to do.

"I'm willing to agree," the woman spoke first, hesitant.

With that, each jurisdiction began agreeing, albeit noticeably begrudgingly, until all but Matsumoto was left. Everyone waited for the head, and he eventually sighed.

"I'll agree under one condition."

Natsume nodded.

"I will be on standby. Contact me if you're unable to convince him. I want a thorough report as soon as you leave his presence."

Natsume's lips broke into a smug grin. "Gladly."

* * *

**Kazuma.**

At least with Aiko I thought I had a chance, what with her heart still possibly beating and all. She didn't have a gaping hole in her chest where her heart was… she had a chance…

Urameshi, though…

I stood up, pulling my head away from the second chest I searched for a heartbeat in today. I stared down at him, bloodied and bruised with that huge, stupid gaping hole in his chest bleeding out.

I'd been angry before—super angry. So angry I thought I could burst and just explode and take out an entire town with me. But right now, as my eyes carried from Urameshi to Sensui, who was talking calmly as if he just swatted a fly away that'd been buzzing around his ear…

He sat on the TV I'd spent hours avoiding when down here earlier, not wanting to look at footage from the tape he stole.

"Ah, the movie's over already," he said with a sigh, letting his arms lie leisurely on his knees. "I was so preoccupied I didn't get to listen to the ending. Too bad, it's a beautiful requiem—would have been fitting for his death. It's fine though, the real finale starts now."

I didn't care that the tunnel behind him had finally broken open—I would take all those youkai out no questions asked because I was going to get to him even if it took me a hundred years.

"Shall we see where this tunnel goes?" he taunted calmly, only making us even madder.

"I don't care where in Makai we end up!" I snapped.

Yeah, now… Now, I'd surpassed the feeling of tangible anger—you know, that anger that you felt in your head that pounded and pounded and got your blood pumping to where you had to hit something. The anger that has you blinded by feelings and fury.

I was far past that. And I reached… I realized I reached what could have been comparable to Sensui's anger.

That sociopathic wave that surfaces in the back of your head, comparable to hate. You aren't going to flail around to get stuff done or raise your voice to get your point across. You got a plan, you got a mission, and it's going to get done.

One way or another.

But it wasn't like Sensui—no, I wasn't going to take my anger out on everyone just because he did something. I had a plan, I had a mission, and it was going to get done.

I was going to make _him_ pay.

Hiei and Youko Kurama ran past me, heading to the wave of youkai that passed through the open tunnel. They were ready to clear the way to Sensui. They were like me—they reached that point.

I took one last glance down at Urameshi, and I found myself smirking at the idiot. I had a feeling I'd be seeing him in a few minutes, but I didn't care.

If anything, I'd go down in a blaze of glory and meet him in Reikai with my head held high.

Hiei released that dragon he had from the Dark Tournament, obliterating every youkai in its path and chasing after Sensui as he jumped into the tunnel. I followed after Kurama, jumping head first into the darkness.

I expected it to be quick like it was before, but I guess with how big the tunnel was the journey to the other side was going to be longer.

It was like falling down that famous rabbit hole: dark, long, winding, and gravity defying. The three of us soared through the tunnel, and I looked around the darkness, finding only Hiei and Kurama with me.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked.

"The alternate dimension space between Ningenkai's and Makai's dimensions." It was strange to hear Kurama answer me with a different voice.

I looked ahead, finding a glowing orange light patterned like a chain link fence in front of us… with Sensui behind us.

"Sensui!" Kurama growled at the sight.

"How the hell'd you get through it?!" I snapped.

He gave a weird, psychotic smile… it pissed me off even more. Why did he think of going to all this trouble? He should have just done us all a favor and locked himself in a psych ward way back when.

"I told you, my seikou-ki is a holy power," he answered. "The barrier only stops youki. Such a shame since it's ironic. His death awakened your real powers but now you can't pass the barrier to get to me." ******

Kurama reached forward and touched the light with the tips of his fingers, and the fence went haywire. It exploded at his touch, zapping his hand and sending electric currents in the air around him. He pulled his hand away, and though I saw it was blackened he didn't seem to mind.

"It's true," he mumbled to himself, no doubt thinking of another way to get around the barrier now with the way his eyes shifted around it.

I groaned, looking around the area, finding the barrier to span off into the horizon.

"The only thing that can cut through the barrier is your sword," Sensui said, eyes settling on me. "I'll let you mull it over, if you want to think about it. I'll wait here one day."

_I_ could get through. I was human. I could just walk through and chase after Sensui myself. Just at that thought like they figured it themselves, Kurama and Hiei glanced over their shoulders to me, waiting for my decision. I knew I couldn't leave them behind; they wanted this as bad as I did.

I could go through alone and leave the barrier intact or open it to fight with Kurama and Hiei and risk youkai coming through.

No matter what choice I picked it was a double-edge sword, just like mine…

My sword materialized in my hand as I beckoned for my reiki.

"Fuck that. I don't need to think about it," I growled, taking the hilt in both hands before lunging at the barrier and dragging the blade through it.

Like an actual chain-link, it broke apart and the cut pieces flailed in different directions, curling in as it swiveled back.

"I'm going to take my time killing you and then I'm going to take one of your arms to Urameshi's grave."

I'd clean up the mess in Ningenkai after I slaughtered this psychotic asshole.

* * *

**Aiko.**

Hayashi fiddled with her pearl earrings, ones I noticed she's wore since I met her, mindlessly as I thought of a lie to tell my father.

They would arrive at the airport soon. I knew I couldn't call until the tunnel closed, but the anxiety was gnawing away in my stomach because if I didn't call and they couldn't find me… they might actually get the police involved. That was the last thing I needed. But as much as I didn't want it, I had to risk it. I couldn't have them come home yet, not until it closed.

I hated waiting, hated doing this again. I didn't want to lie like this again—if Ningenkai survived, I probably wouldn't.

Guilt and stomach acid splashed around inside me as the car took some subtle turns on the bypasses and ramps. I stared down at the Nokia ten-eleven in my hands, wishing I could call now. I wished things went a better way, that we were going up to Misawa instead of down to Mushiyori.

A little tune came from the phone as the small screen lit up a faint green, and I jumped in surprise. The electronic jingle was quirky and cute, and Natsume held her hand out.

"Give me that."

I tossed her the phone, restraining myself from throwing it at her face. She caught it with both hands and then pressed the call button. Putting it to her face, she smiled excitedly.

"Akane speaking." Her excited smile drifted away slowly and a somber expression took its place. "We've moved up to level A-two?" Her voice was calm, but Hayashi let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I understand. The SDF's already been deployed? …Understood."

"A-two. Destruction of an entire country," Hayashi muttered to herself. "That means…"

Breath caught in my throat as I waited for Natsume's call to finish. Hayashi and Fukui were both sitting up in their seats now, as was I, eager to jump the brunette for details.

Natsume nodded slowly. "I will still be arriving to see if Lord Koenma is present and seize the tape… I understand. I will keep you updated."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, anxiety growing. Finally, she hung up. She crossed one leg over the other and her arms over her chest. Her eyes drifted around us; one by one we landed under her gaze.

With a calm tone, she spoke slowly. "Reikai's ruled Ningenkai's destruction level at A-two. The tunnel has opened."

We were expecting those words, but they hit us harder than we expected. Fukui leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms while Hayashi let out a heavy sigh and hung her head. I, despite shaking in my seat and being three seconds away from pissing myself, tried to be reassuring.

"But… they—Yu can still beat him, right? He can take care of plenty of youkai—"

"He's dead. The SDF was sent to handle it." Words and tone so blasé they were colder than ice, scraping every nerve of my central nervous system as they trailed down my spine.

I stared at her, lips going numb as they hung open.

"That's…" I inhaled sharply, almost choking. "That's not fucking funny."

She stared me down, unapologetic without a trace of humor lingering in her features. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

I lost all feeling in my face and neck, and the ice that had traveled down my central nervous system spanned into my peripheral, prickling every nerve numb. The only thing I could feel was the growing pounding in my head, the stinging in my eyes and bridge of my nose.

My head shook subtly, in tune with the heavy pounding that only grew with each beat, and my brain fizzed to what could only be comparable to static.

"Sensui killed him." Her hollow words pushed out my first dry sob.

I moved, finding my legs to pull me across the limo to Natsume's seat. I stumbled on the leather between the blonde and brunette and was able to find my arms and shove Natsume against the car door.

Luckily, among the static, my brain was able to send out a simple demand.

"Call again!" I screamed, feeling the heat of reiki glow around my hands as I gripped her white blouse's collar. "Call again—he _can't_ be dead!"

"When'd you level up?" She raised an eyebrow as she eyed my hands, more confused than scared. Within the same second, she rolled her eyes. "Fuck, I can't believe I just said that. 'Level up.' What the fuck is this, _PokeMon_?"

"Call again!" My throat burned.

She remained calm as I tightened my grip and shoved her against the window harder, knocking her head against the glass. Hayashi was just inches behind me, ready to rip me from her if I became violent.

"Call again, goddammit!"

Natsume stared up at me, face stoic. I didn't expect her to react like me—a blubbering mess of tears, snot, and screams. But this was Yu. _Yusuke_. Who couldn't… who couldn't care about him?

"Look, they pulled his files," she said, seemingly indifferent about being screamed at.

With my free hand, I snatched the phone from her and slammed it on the window next to her head, screaming. "Call them back! He's not dead! _Yusuke doesn't die_!"

Through the repeated slams against the window and my screams, I could barely make out her words. I didn't care about them. I wanted to hear: "I'll call them back."

Instead, I finally heard: "He's a youkai, too."

I paused, hand inches from the window. "…What?"

Barely disgruntled from the loud noise around her, she rolled her eyes when she noticed I finally stopped. "He's a youkai, too. They pulled his files and dug deep in his family history. Found he descended from a King in Makai."

I was so emotionally invested in one youkai already that it didn't even matter to me. "Is he fucking alive or not?!"

"He died but since there's a chance he could come back from the atavism, the SDF will take him out. They were sent out about an hour ago, they're probably already in the cave—now with new orders. They'll fix the barrier and make sure there's no way for him to come back."

The static disappeared as a sharp pain surged in the back of my head; my vision tainted a surreal tint of red.

I gripped the phone tightly, feeling the hard cover under my squeeze as I swung at her head. Before the phone connected to her skull, I was jerked away from the brunette. I flailed my limbs and screamed obscenities as I struggled to get out from Hayashi's grip. We toppled over into the open floor of the limo, and I yelled and swung blindly to get her off me.

Autopilot. Underneath my heated skin and bundle of haywire nerves were blood and a heart, nothing more. Blood roared in my ears as I swung at the blonde, head switched off. I wasn't in the fight to win, but to hurt.

Which was why the surreal red tint began to fade in disappointment and despair when my body realized it was losing. She blocked every jab or grab effortlessly, swatting my sparking hands away with ease and forcing me to the floor without breaking a sweat.

She pinned me to the carpet, straddling my stomach as she watched me shake with the adrenaline infused blood. I stared at the ceiling, through her, hyperventilating and body shaking rhythmically with each new heartbeat.

"It's going to be okay, Aiko," she said quietly, removing a hand from my pinned wrist to wipe away a new batch of tears rolling down my wet face.

An opening. I swung my free fist. Centimeters away from clocking her in the temple, she moved in a swift motion. Jerking her head back, she grabbed hold of my arm. Using my momentum, she lifted herself slightly to let me roll on my stomach before plopping on my back and pinning me again.

I forgot how to lift my head from the thick carpet floor. I forgot how to breathe. I could only cry.

The car's getting smaller. The car's getting smaller.

Hayashi cooed to me softly, saying "it'll be fine" as I sobbed and tried to regain control of myself. Finally, I could speak through the sobs.

"Don't touch him," was all I could say, filled with a new-found animosity.

I hated Reikai. I _hated_ Reikai. Why did they continue going after people who helped them? They were like a government, weren't they? They ruled over us—_humans. _They ruled over us to _protect_ us, right? But why didn't they try to see who our protectors were?

Through my sobs, I could still hear Hayashi's faint cooing. She shushed me gently, running her hands through my ponytail, smoothing it gently as she sat on me.

"Don't touch him," I sobbed again into the carpet, adrenaline dispersing. "Leave him alone. Yusuke doesn't die. He's—he _doesn't_. He worked hard to come back."

"Shhh." Hayashi stroked my matted hair again. "I'm sure we can work something out with them."

"He's worked _so_ hard for you guys," I cried, heart pounding harder, heavier. "He did so much for Reikai and you're going to kill him anyway…"

She shushed me again and slowly got off me to sit next to me. She began rubbing my back.

"We'll figure something out," she said.

"Christ. Don't get her hopes up, Ami," Natsume chided.

"I'm sure we can work something out." Hayashi ignored her, still rubbing my back as the brunette's words only hit me harder.

"He's stronger than Sensui." Natsume's voice was laced with irritation at Hayashi. "And Sensui is ranked as an S-class. Your friend's a threat to Ningenkai. Chances of his body being left alone are slim. They're going to _obliterate_ him, soul and all."

I rolled over and chucked the phone at Natsume, but Hayashi stopped me from getting up and pouncing on the brunette, wrapping her arms around my torso. I was slightly satisfied as I watched the phone fly at Natsume's face.

Natsume ducked, letting the phone fly into the window and shatter the glass on impact. Surprised, she turned around and watched through the broken window as the phone bounced off in the distance behind us, disappearing on the fleeting road's horizon.

"God _damn_…" Natsume said under her breath, ponytail swaying in the wind as she looked out the hole. "It broke the window…"

Hayashi barred me to the floor again, shushing me gently as I screamed. "Why would he turn against us? He fought for us! That's why he went against Sensui—he _died_ _for us_!"

Natsume groaned and looked over her shoulder to snap at me. "Who knows what the atavism will do when it kicks in—we're not taking chances."

She inhaled sharply and turned to pick up a stray shard of glass that landed on the seat. With the quick quirk of an eyebrow, she threw it behind her without care, sending it out the hole in the window.

"You don't just change personalities!" I screamed.

She stared down at me, expression calming as if she was talking to an ignorant child. "Power changes you."

"He's not like that! Yusuke's not like that!"

Hayashi shushed me again. "It'll be fine, Aiko."

She embraced me like a mother would her child, pulling me against her and laying my head on her chest, unafraid of my dirty hair potentially ruining her pretty, pristine white blouse. She smoothed my hair again as I gave in and accepted defeat.

They were going to take Yusuke from me. They were going to take Kurama from me. They were going to take them from me… They would take everyone from me.

And I couldn't do a thing about it…

Breathing hitched, adrenaline gone, my bitter bawling surfaced from pure despair. Disgustingly embarrassing. I felt a glimmer of guilt for crying snot and saliva on Hayashi's pretty white blouse with how caring she was, but it was fleeting as I remembered she wasn't calling off the kill. My throat tightened at the reminder, pushing out more painful cries as she held me close.

She rubbed my arms as she cradled me, and I soon exhausted myself into a quiet, numb oblivion. Stress and trauma took hold of my body quickly, gripping every nerve and vein strongly. The fog returned. My breathing steadied slowly as I shut down, staring at where the dark carpet met the large car doors.

"Just leave her there." Natsume's voice suddenly came through the fog, the first time any of them spoke since my tantrum.

I was moved and set against the edge of the seat, propped upright. I didn't bother moving as I watched the girls step out of the limo. The car door slammed behind them, thinning the fog in my head.

I glanced up to the rear view window with a deep breath, trying to wake up. I watched the tinted night sky through the window, taking note of the stars and how visible they were wherever we stopped.

Another car door slammed behind me, waking me up. Though a heavy hollowness settled in my heart, encouraging my body to stay idle and wallow in the emptiness, my curiosity was still alive.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling the raw tissue as I croaked out. "Sosuke?"

The partition lowered and his voice came behind me from the driver's seat. "Yes, Miss Aiko?"

"...Do you know what actually goes on in this family?"

He hesitated before replying. "Sometimes."

"Then why do you still work for them?"

"It puts a roof over my head, money in the bank."

"...Oh."

He drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel for a moment. "We've arrived to the cave, Miss Aiko. Would you like to step out and get some fresh air?"

What was the point? I couldn't do anything but watch them execute Yusuke. "Not really."

"I think if you stepped outside, you'd feel a lot better."

When I didn't reply, I heard him shuffling, then a car door opening and closing. It was then the car door next to me opened, and I saw the driver who'd witnessed my struggles in his car twice. I forced myself to look up to the young driver. With thin lips, he gave me a small smile before sitting in the seat across from me. White gloved hands clasped together as he sat upright.

His smile was familiar but I couldn't place where from. I knew, though, his sharp cheek bones reminded me of Kazuma.

I wondered if he was okay. Was Kurama okay?

"The tunnel's being handled by the SDF right?" I asked, eyes comfortable staring at the empty seat next to him. "They're going to do something about it?"

"Yes."

I should probably call my parents before they get to the cops. "You don't happen to have a phone, do you?"

"No, but Miss Ami has a phone in her purse," he replied, and I looked up to him nodding to the purse to my left. "I'm sure she won't mind if you use her phone."

With a deep breath I leaned over and reached to her leather purse and pulled out an identical Nokia. It was a struggle to pull myself back upright, but I succeeded with a small groan. My fingers hovered over the numbers, remembering Hatanaka's cell number.

Was the last digit two or four?

"Who are you going to call?" Sosuke asked.

"My dad," I replied slowly. "If the tunnel's closing they can come back home… Maybe he'll be mad enough that he'll put me in a coma so I don't have to feel anything anymore."

I figured to go with two, and dialed his number as he stared at me with furrowed brows, sad eyes.

"Does your dad hit you, Miss Aiko?" he asked.

"He gets mad at me easily," I replied, pulling the phone to my ear and letting my eyes fall to the carpet floor. "I don't blame him."

Hatanaka's voice sounded after the second ring. "Hello? Kazuya speaking."

"Hello, Hatanaka," I mumbled. "It's Aiko."

"We've been looking for you!" he sighed in relief. "Where are you?"

"About that… could I speak to my dad?"

"Of course, here he is." The phone was passed off to my father, who didn't speak.

"Dad?" I watched Sosuke as he watched me talk to my father. He had no expression on his face, like he was tense to hear what my dad was capable of.

"Yeah." My dad was curt.

Even though I wanted to be smacked unconscious, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth—not over the phone.

"I'm sorry I didn't call earlier." Wow, Aiko. Sound more sincere, why don't you? That lifeless tone really puts the cherry on top of that apology. "I ran into Natsume's father at the airport and he offered us a ride home."

"Okay."

…Okay?

Fear began trickling in me, forcing emotion into my voice. That one word was enough stimuli for about two years, the emptiness that once had a strong grip around my chest was gone.

"He was on a business call and I couldn't call unt—"

"Uh-huh."

"Dad?" I was greeted by silence. He'd hung up.

Sosuke hesitated in front of me as I stared down at the floor, hand dropping to my side. He was unsure of what to say or do.

Finally he spoke, voice cautious. "Miss Aiko, are you okay?"

I shrugged and took a deep breath before tossing the phone back into Hayashi's little black purse. "Guess I'll see Yusuke in Reikai and we'll be sentenced together."

That was actually a comforting thought.

His familiar smile returned as he leaned over and closed the door he came in from. "Are you sure you don't want to get some fresh air?"

"I'll be breathing plenty of Reikai air in a few hours so yeah. I'm sure."

He took his driver's cap off and ruffled his black hair in thought before putting it back on. He looked out the car window and smiled again.

"Miss Aiko, I truly think you'd like what you see if you stepped outside."

"Is everyone alive?" I asked, glancing up to him in hope. Surely he wouldn't encourage me if they weren't.

Leaning over, he got up and opened the door next to me. Stepping over me and into the open air, he leaned back in the car and extended his gloved hand. I slipped my hand in his, and he helped me stumble out of the limousine.

I never thought he'd be right. The fresh air unclogged my mind in the first inhale; the chill of the breeze swishing by was like a shot of caffeine. I searched around the forest scenery to find a large group of people a couple of yards away near the entrance of the cave.

In the bright moonlight, I could recognize everyone. My heart swelled with relief seeing Kazuma and Kurama alive and well, and I sighed in confused hope upon seeing the long-haired young male in their group.

It had to be Yusuke—it _had_ to be.

He turned slightly, and I saw the familiar curve in his cheeks and the signature, perky slant of his eyes. He was alive. My heart about burst with relief—I knew it. _Yusuke doesn't die_.

Trouble lingered behind the group, though, as a large group of armored individuals stepped out of the cave. I knew instantly they had to be the SDF because as Natsume and her henchwomen approached the Prince, they stood their ground at the entrance of the cave as the girls' silent support.

I never thought I'd see Natsume bow to another, though I figured Reikai royalty would be the only fitting exception. With her right hand placed over the void where her heart should be and her left arm bent behind her, lying on the small of her back, she bowed deeply at the waist. Fukui and Hayashi followed suit.

Sosuke walked with me as I inched closer to the group, curious what she was going to say, fury already building in my stomach. She hadn't even opened her mouth yet.

"Get the fuck out of here," Yusuke snapped at her, validating my anger. "You're not welcome."

"My name is Natsume, Akane, my Lord." Natsume ignored him, speaking directly to the Prince as she stayed bowed. "I'm here on behalf of Mr. Matsumoto, head of jurisdiction four, including the city of Mushiyori."

The Prince stared down at her with little interest, his pacifier twitching gently between his lips. "You can stand straight now."

The three did so, but not without leaving their hands over their chests.

"I am here for multiple requests, sir," Natsume continued. "One has already been brought to your attention regarding your detective, Urameshi, Yusuke."

He remained calm, though in his tone one could detect a slight hint of irritation. "It's been discussed."

I breathed a sigh of relief—the Prince cared for Yusuke! We had a chance.

Yusuke sucked his teeth, and Kazuma, who was holding the unconscious shrimp-dick midget by his collar, clenched his teeth to refrain from telling her off. Even Botan was pursing her lips to keep her tongue.

"And the decision?" she asked.

"Still being discussed."

She inhaled sharply, repressing anger. "My next request is to have the video tape destroyed immediately."

The Prince then raised an eyebrow. "…If you give me some plausible reasons, I will consider it."

She replied without missing a beat. "It's vile, defamation, and is a tool of torture used to brainwash and breed hatred, as you have witnessed throughout this case."

"You do understand they are files of Ningenkai's history, right? They can't be eradicated so easily."

"Not only is the tape never watched, this tool of history helped breed this situation, my Lord. It could create more issues if not taken care of and could result in this again. If you will not destroy it for historical reasons, may I consider a more heavily, extremely guarded vault, like the Great King's, to ensure its seclusion?"

The pacifier continued twitching gently, and he side glanced to the boys and then me before looking back at Natsume. "Your points will be taken into consideration."

I couldn't see her face, but I knew she had to repress an ugly scowl at his words.

"Your next request?" he asked.

"Is my last," she said. And with her next words, I watched her hand fall from her chest only to point an index finger at another member of the group, one of my boys. "I'm requesting an ancestral background check on your employee, Minamino, Shuichi."

Another sharp pain surged in the back of my neck, pounding in my head as blood roared in my ears. Kurama, however, didn't seem to care.

"Reasons why?" the prince asked.

I shoved past Sosuke, on a mission to _destroy_.

"If your detective was able to slip under our radar and hold youkai blood in him without any signs, then it's possible for him as well."

The pacifier stopped twitching and he stared down at the potential predecessor. Even he had to be wondering how she could have sunk her fangs in so deep—thinking about how she couldn't refuse the chance to suck her victim dry. She was a _leech_—no, all these Reikai employees were so much worse, so disgusting and degrading a blood-sucking breed—

My screech echoed down the mountain, words flying out without thought. "All you people are _vampires_!"

Hayashi glanced over her shoulder to me, eyebrow cocked in surprise at the diction.

"Aiko?" Yusuke sputtered my name as he and the boys turned to see me. He held his newly marked hands up in resignation. "Why am I not surprised?!"

Fukui turned around first with an entertained smile on her face. Hayashi turned around next, reaching for the clawed hand I sent Natsume's way—ready to grab her by her hair.

Hayashi's fingers wrapped around my wrist as she stepped around me, dragging my arm and pinning it to my back, sparking an uncomfortable pain in my joint. Her other arm wrapped around my neck in a choke-hold as she dragged me away from Natsume.

"Don't touch her!" Yusuke snapped, stepping forward to Hayashi.

One of the armored men stepped away from his post in front of the cave in assertion, and Yusuke bristled, pausing in his stride. He glanced over to the man, ready to head in his direction and fight. Kurama, though, quickly gripped his shoulder in hopes to tame him. Once Yusuke stopped moving, the man did as well.

"It's best to not agitate things further," Kurama said before side-eyeing Hayashi. "She won't hurt Aiko."

My voice didn't lower, and though I was pulled away from Natsume's reach, I still used my free hand to give the armored man the bird. "Stop trying to take away the ones who protect us! They both fought for us and you're trying to _kill them, _you fucking mindless_ sheep_!"

Natsume turned away from me and to the Prince, speaking hastily. "I _sincerely_ apologize for her outburst."

He replied with an uncaring shrug.

"It wasn't directed at me." When she bristled, trying to keep composure, he continued. "I can assure you Minamino is an exceptional human, but to reassure you and give you peace of mind, I'll send you his history within the next few days."

She cocked her head to the side, suppressing the urge to give him attitude. Through gritted teeth, she spoke. "So, to recap, my lord: the situation regarding Urameshi, Yusuke, is still being discussed. You will only _consider_ destroying the tape and those who saw it. And Minamino, Shuichi's files will come in a few days."

He nodded. "Seems to be so, Akane."

With another sharp inhale, she let out a controlled exhale through gritted teeth. "Thank you for your time, Lord Koenma."

"I'll let you know for our first meeting, you did well. Don't take my answers too hard, either; I would have given any official the same responses."

She paused, going rigidly stiff as she hesitated giving a reply. "Thank you."

"You'll receive an update on each of your requests in a few days, Akane. I'll have them delivered directly to you."

She was reluctant to move, and I could see the cogs turning in her head as she pondered on anything else she may need to say.

"I will relay everything to Mr. Matsumoto immediately, and I'll have him contact you with any further questions then, sir." She then bowed and turned on her heels to leave.

Hayashi let go of me once Natsume stepped next to me, and Fukui and Hayashi followed suit with the bow of respect to the Prince as I stood upright.

Natsume gripped my arm and yanked me close. Her warm breath enveloped my ear as she snarled condescendingly.

"Since you love this youkai trash so much, you can head home with them," she hissed to me before letting go and walking towards the limo. "When you decide to wise up, see me—before_ I_ decide you _need_ to wise up."

"Akane," the Prince called after her, and she turned around to make eye contact, becoming rigidly straight again.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I do hope you won't take Hojo's outbursts around me to heart," he said simply. "I'm aware she's been close with my detective since he was first employed. She's only acting out of emotions and I've taken no offence."

"Yes, sir." Natsume nodded before casting an annoyed glance my way. "I won't hold it against her."

He flicked a limp wrist at her with a simple tone. "You've done well. You may go."

I bit my tongue as I heard the car doors slam shut, still shaking from anger. As the limousine left, the SDF spoke their final words to the Prince.

"Don't think you can get away with any of this, Lord Koenma." The man I presumed the leader threatened the adult brunet. "Reikai will not forgive these actions."

"I know. I accept full responsibility," the Prince replied, tone far harsher now as he turned to the army.

Yusuke sucked his teeth and stepped in front of Koenma. The group tensed, hoping he'd attack first so they could take him out.

"Listen up. I don't usually pick fights with people I know I can beat, but if they bring me beef I have no problem handling it." He placed his hands on his hips, and the gesture was definitely more threatening with his new blood. "Koenma did the right thing and you assholes don't have the right to hassle him about it. So come on, try messing with _any_ of us again. I dare you."

The leader, an older man with a mustache, ground his teeth in anger and glared at the boy with long hair and new markings. With a low growl, he lept in the air first, and his army followed suit, disappearing into the sky surrounded by ki. And though they left on that note, the reiki they emitted from just bounding into the sky together showed they were willing to throw down with Yusuke any day.

The silence that came with their departure was thick, and everyone stood near the cave's opening with a change in demeanor.

A weight lifted off everyone's shoulder and everyone but me seemed to relish in the air of relief. I looked between the three boys—the two shades of red and the stupid, long-haired raven—and let a new wave of emotions pour out. Some I never thought I'd feel again after this, at least not so soon.

Relief, appreciation, and everything between… I found myself crying again as I ran to the idiot boy I thought I lost just a while ago. Arms wrapped around his dirty and battered torso, I could hear his childish laughter as he slid an arm around my back, holding me tight in expectancy of tunnel vision.

"Look, Aiko's crying! What a moron!"

* * *

**A/N:**

*** **¥287 M is roughly $2.8 M or £1.7 M.

Usually I don't play with inflation rates because dealing with that and converting it to yen's inflation rates is a hassle but I _tried_ to make the prices suitable for the nineties.

****** _Seikou-ki_ is "golden ki" or "holy ki." Assumed to be the highest ranking ki a human could master after severe training. Essentially relatable to the S-class version of classification for humans, from my understanding.

Thanks to _OhhTaylorJade, Gimei, hollyandthediamonds, YuYuHakushoObsesser, _and a guest for reviewing last chapter, and everyone who's followed and faved. And a shout-out to those rock-hard Nokia jokes. Muah.


	9. Video Games

**A/N: **If you start to feel uncomfortable or triggered during Aiko's first POV, feel free to skip to Kurama's POV. I'll have a brief summary of it at the end of this chapter containing only plot points.

* * *

**_PART V. "Video Games."_**

* * *

_"It's you. It's you. It's all for you.  
Everything I do."_

— _Elizabeth Woolridge Grant._

* * *

**Aiko.**

I was at my old apartment again. Our very first one, before we moved into the one that burned down. The silver knob on the door gave it away because every time I'd reached for it, I couldn't help but think how it was perfectly spherical.

I could smell the pollen and what could be comparable to lavender from the plants at the park across the street. It was thick and lingering, and though sweet, it quickly became nauseating until one could get inside to air conditioning.

I was in junior high again.

It was dusk. The eggshell white door and all my surroundings were bathed in the red, setting sun's glow. My hand hovered over the perfect knob, shaking furiously. Blood rushed around in my head, roared in my ears, as my heart throbbed in my throat.

I knew what would happen on the other end of that door when I went in and lied. He had no clue; he wasn't waiting for me, expecting me. He'd just come home and was probably on the phone hassling them some more.

I felt my stomach churn, flip around like an acrobat, as my hand struggled to grip the knob. I had the lie planned and I expected the wrath to come.

_Aiko_.

But I had another chance. I was in junior high again. I was being given another chance to choose. To live out the ridicule in anonymity or live it out in my family… I could choose, think twice before making the decision.

…What should I choose?

"Aiko."

It was night. My hand, shrouded in the porch's dim light above the door, held the key to our newest apartment and shook furiously inches away from the keyhole. I looked up to Kurama next to me, his somber expression accentuated by the poor lighting.

I wasn't in junior high again… I'd sent Yusuke home to Keiko and returned here with Kurama.

With a shaky breath, I realized how wet my face was. I began regulating my breathing, taking control over the function manually since my medulla was handling it poorly.

"I'll vouch for you," he said quietly, reassuringly. "Unless you want me to handle this."

I shook my head, sniffing mucus back inside my nostrils.

"He's not going to care you're here," I laughed dryly, pitifully. "He won't care what you say."

"Aiko—"

"In fact, I think you should go home." My voice cracked and I internally cursed myself for it. I regained control over my throat muscles. "You won't be able to help and I don't think I want you here anymore."

I wanted him here. I wanted him to stay. But I knew my dad was beyond the point of sanity now. I knew what I did; he knew what I did.

"I asked this of you," he said simply, eyes shifting from me to the doorknob. "I'll stay."

"You won't be able to do anything…" I shoved the key in the hole and gripped the knob.

With a deep breath, I prepared myself. This wasn't me skipping class or breaking curfew. I lied again and it wasn't about my meals.

I stepped foot into the entry way and the two of us gingerly took off our shoes. It was quiet all for the TV in the living room, where I could hear the familiar voice of a meerkat. They were home. Kurama was steps behind me as I travelled down the small hallway.

Jaw trembling as I rounded the corner, I croaked out. "Dad?"

When I stepped foot in the living room, three things happened at once.

First, Kurama called out to my father, voice calm.

Then a sharp, stinging sensation quickly burned into the crown of my head where my ponytail was.

And I was dragged off my feet.

"I don't give a _fuck_ who you brought home!" he roared, dragging my stumbling body across the living room to the hallway. "You're not getting out of this one!"

"Mr. Hojo." Kurama spoke calmly again, steps behind us.

"Fuck off, Minamino." He jerked his arm away from Kurama. "Go home."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Kurama said smoothly, stepping after my father calmly despite matching the brisk pace.

"_Shuichi_, just go," I hissed as I stumbled along with my dad's fast pace, scrambling to grab his forearm. My fingers worked around his hand, trying to pry his grip from my hair as my lips worked frantically. "Dad—dad, listen. I'm sorry. _I'm sorry_."

The wood floors passed swiftly under me as I tried regaining my footing, slipping with each step and returning to being dragged. He yanked me up just as I almost found my footing, scrambling my steps again.

"You're not getting out of this one."

"Dad—I'm not trying to. I'm not. I'm sorry! I'll talk—"

We stepped over the threshold to my parent's room and I looked over my shoulder despite the stinging pain in my scalp to glance back at Kurama, who was now subdued by my mom. She stood in front of him, gently holding him back by the arms and shaking her head.

Mom glanced over her shoulder to me; a sad, disappointed gaze cast my way. Shame surfaced in my gut and I looked up to Kurama, who remained calm, expression stoic. He wasn't leaving.

His image disappeared as the door slammed shut, and I was shoved after it. My face smashed into the white wood door and a sharp pain surged in my nose and lips. Warm liquid trickled out of my nose; I could taste the metallic tinge as it dripped over my open lips and into my mouth.

He gripped my hair again and moved my head slightly. I felt my cheek rub against the door as I tried looking over my shoulder.

"_Prefectures_!" His screaming reminded me why I often wouldn't mind being deaf—at this rate, I probably would be. "Do you know how many fucking prefectures we crossed to find out it was a _lie_?"

I couldn't find my voice through the sobs rising in my throat. "I—"

His voice only grew louder. "You think you can bring shame on your family again? Involve _another_ family in your fucking lie?"

"I didn't—"

He pressed his body weight against me, pushing me against the door. "What the fuck are you hiding?"

Tears poured out like from a broken dam. I didn't know what to do. "I'm not—"

"What are you involved in?"

I didn't know what to say. "I'm not—"

He ripped my hair back, yanking me away from the door and pushing me into the nearest corner. I stumbled, slamming my face into the wall. I pulled away, briefly noticing the smeared blood on the wall as my hair was used again.

My head whipped around, curving at a painful angle until my body inched around with it slightly to dull the pain. He cornered me, free hand planting on the wall next to my head.

He leaned in, growling. "You have forty-five seconds to tell the truth. I have _no_ problem owning only one child."

My breathing hitched and I forgot how to breathe properly. The walls were closing in, my personal space was evaded. It was shrinking, everything was shrinking, shrinking and shrinking and shrinking and…

I closed my eyes, hoping to black out from fear—pass out from lack of oxygen—whichever grace came first. He pulled my ponytail again, jerking my head back and smacking it into the wall behind me.

"Speak! You're not a fucking whining dog!"

"You won't believe me!" I finally managed to cry, hands coming up to hide my face from him.

"Try me!"

I tried curling into the wall, hoping to mold into the paint and disappear. "You won't believe me!"

"Fifteen seconds!"

No avail.

The words poured out my mouth in sobs. "A tunnel to Makai was opening—youkai could have run through and killed everyone! I wanted you and Shiori's family safe. To get out while you could."

His breathing was heavy; I could feel the heat on my palms as he paused in thought. "That's what that pillar of dark light was?"

The words caught me off guard and a cry lodged in my throat. He dragged me again, guiding me to the Western style bed and shoving me on the comforter.

I extended my hands, catching myself to make sure I didn't ruin the white sheets with my nosebleed.

His voice rose again. "That's what the fucking pillar of dark light was?"

"Probably" was the wrong answer.

"Sit up!" he screamed.

Like a dog, I quickly obeyed.

"I never saw it!" I cried, forcing out words through erratic throat muscles. "I never saw the pillar—but that's probably what it was. It was in Mushiyori."

He growled through gritted teeth. "I want you to explain everything you've gotten yourself into."

I forced my throat to function. "You—won't believe me…"

He lunged towards me, face inches from mine. "_Speak_!"

I jumped out of my skin and let more words fly out. "MyfriendworksforReikaiasadetectiveandhandlesalotofcasesthatinclude—"

"_Speak clearly_!"

I flinched as flecks of spit flew on my face. I tried steadying my breathing and spoke slowly, choosing words as carefully as I could.

"My friend… works for Reikai… which is where you go when you die and he. He." I couldn't breathe. The throbbing in my head returned. "He gets put on cases that basically… protect us from youkai, which come from like a different… dimension. And…" I tried taking deeper, slower breaths. "He was assigned to the tunnel case. He told me about it…"

I paused, looking up at his scowling face. In the brightly lit room, the lighting hit his face in just the wrong angle, convincing me further he wouldn't hesitate to swing.

A subtle nodding in my head surfaced as adrenaline coursed through me again. I rocked slightly on the comforter, trembling as I stared at him in anticipation. His eyes narrowed.

I steadied my trembling jaw and tried again. "He told me about it. And I wanted to make sure you guys and Shiori's family could get out safe…"

He sniffed hard, like he was readying some mucus to spit on me. He never did before but tonight was a new night.

"Fuckin' _prefectures_," he hissed, voice low.

"I know…" I breathed, closing my eyes tight as I hung my head.

"Is it Minamino?" he snapped.

I looked back to him quickly, finding him pointing at the closed door. "No! No, we're all mutual friends."

He wasn't convinced. "Where was Minamino during all this?"

Shit…

"Where was Minamino during all of this?" he snapped, swinging his hand forward.

"With Shizuru, my hairdresser!" I cried as he grabbed my jaw, cupping it tightly. He shook my head, wanting the truth. "We were all at the detective's apartment when everything happened! Before I called you! She got hurt and he went to the hospital with her!"

His grip didn't loosen. "And where were you?"

I whimpered, words refusing to come out.

"_Where were you_?"

"I tried going to Misawa!" I sobbed, eyes closed tight as I shook my head subtly under his grip. "I really tried, Dad…"

"Where. Were. You?"

I opened my eyes slightly, his face blurred through my wet lashes.

"Mushiyori…" I breathed.

He threw my head back before pacing around the length of the bed. I knew better than to speak, to ask if I could go. He wasn't done.

He walked past the bed and to the window, wiping the blood on his hands on his pants and smoothing back his hair. He watched the quiet, lit streets below.

"You're going to answer everything I ask," he said sternly, arms crossing over his chest. He leaned against the frame. "Do not lie."

"Okay…"

He kept his back to me, watching the occasional car drive by, the casual biker zip past below.

"Reikai. That's where you go when you die. Is that where those oar riders belong? We figured they stayed somewhere."

_We...?_

I froze as blood dripped off my chin, wondering how much my parents knew. Did he ever hear Yusuke when he was a ghost? We made sure he was never caught; we were careful just out of precaution…

I nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"Makai. Another dimension?"

Another slow nod. "Where youkai live."

"Youkai."

"They… most look like monsters. Some look like us."

He glanced to me over his shoulder. "The tunnel."

"This guy hated everyone and wanted to eradicate humanity."

He turned around, glowering at me. "Why are you involved in this?"

I shrugged, shaking my head. "I'm just… friends with the detective. He told me about it so I could get everyone I could out."

"Does Minamino know?"

I hesitated before nodding slowly. "We're all mutual friends…"

"How many times have you been involved in this shit?"

"I…" I exhaled heavily and hung my head. "Lost count."

I could feel his eyes boring into me. "Who's the detective?"

I inhaled sharply, hiccupping in fright as I glanced up to him again. I didn't want him to take Yusuke away from me. "He's my friend…"

"Who's the detective?" he asked again, sterner.

My eyes stung and the sharp headache surged harder. "He's my friend, dad…"

"I didn't ask that!" he snapped. "_Who_ is he?"

"Don't take him away, dad," I pleaded.

"Who is he?" he yelled, and I flinched at the volume as he stepped forward.

"…Yusuke."

He paused, eyes slanting off to place the name. His gaze turned back to me in confused surprise. "The kid Minoru fucking idolizes?!"

I nodded.

"He's a _kid_! He's younger than you!"

I shook my head. "I know…"

He stared at me, skeptical, baffled.

"Don't take him away," I pleaded again, more warm salt water spilling down my heated face. "He's my friend."

"I don't want you involved in his shit anymore."

"He's my friend."

"And I don't want you involved in his shit anymore."

"But he's my friend—"

"That's not what I fucking said, Aiko," he snapped. "I don't want you involved in his shit anymore."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, stopping myself from saying: "But _I'm_ the one that gets me involved."

Instead, I mustered: "Okay, just… don't take them from me."

He rolled his eyes and stepped to the bed, gripping my shoulder tightly. "And now you're going to the Minamino household to apologize. I want you to offer to pay for all the expenses they made on that trip."

I nodded, eyeing the hand on my shoulder warily. "Okay."

He guided me forcefully off the bed, and before I hit the ground I managed my footing.

"And if you're not home in an hour I will go looking for you," he threatened, jerking me upright. "Do you want me to fucking go looking for you tonight?"

"No."

"Then go."

My eyes never left his hand. "It takes a half hour to walk there."

"Seventy minutes." He sneered, shoving me from his grip to the door. "Ten straight minutes to get on the floor and beg for forgiveness."

I caught myself before tripping into the door again, hands planting firmly on the wood. I eyed the smeared blood on the door, sniffing slightly before straightening.

"Okay."

With numb hands, I turned the knob. And though I never thought I could be happier to find Kurama on the other side of the door, waiting patiently for me, I was disgusted at the thought of wanting any form of comfort. I was more disgusted that he heard everything.

I was _mortified_ he would think this was something it wasn't.

"She's going to apologize to your mother and Hatanaka, Minamino," my dad said behind me. I glanced to my mother, who stood against the wall next to the door, holding herself and staring down at the floor with a frustrated scowl and tear-streaked face. "I want her back tonight."

I quickly looked away from her.

Kurama didn't reply. Instead, he stepped forward and let his hand hover over my back, ready to guide me away and put distance between me and my father.

"Don't take your purse, either." So I couldn't hop a bus anywhere.

I walked out of the hallway immediately, heading straight to the door.

* * *

**Kurama.**

"I stumbled into the wall." She spoke suddenly halfway through our walk, making it the first time either of us said anything since she left her parent's room. "He didn't hit me. I know you're thinking it."

She held herself in the warm April night air, trembling. I watched her at arm's length, noting the similar expression of disappointment her mother bore while waiting outside the room.

_With one arm wrapped around her stomach and her right hand pressed against the wall next to her as she leaned upon it, she felt for the vibrations created by the abuse she couldn't hear. Brown eyes stayed on the floor and she winced at the second thud that hit the wall._

_I could hear her father through the door vividly, as if he was having a regular conversation with me just less than a foot away._

_She frowned, closing her eyes tight and pushing out the tears that pooled in the corners of her eyes._

_I eyed her bare arms and shins. She always wore a variety of nice blouses and matching skirts, leaving many areas that could be bruised exposed, but there were none._

_I let my arms fall from my chest to my sides, grabbing her attention. She cast a small glance to me across the hall, tears trickling off her cheeks._

_"You're fine with letting him treat her like this?" I didn't bother with the roundabout questions I should have asked out of culture courtesy._

_Her face fell, emotions on her features just as expressive as her daughter's could be—a trait picked up when one communicated through sight. Jaw hung open in a frown and brows furrowed, she looked at me with wide, fearful eyes before closing them tight and shaking her head._

_Her hands moved up to talk, and she hung her head in shame. More tears spilled down her face as she signed._

_I watched her mouth the words as her language played in front of me. "No, but… this can't keep happening."_

I watched as she tried rubbing the rest of the drying blood off with the collar of her denim vest. She had no shame when she licked the collar and tried rubbing off the blood with the now wet material. I didn't hold the act against her. It actually worked better as most of the blood wiped off, but some smeared to her cheeks and it went unnoticed.

It was easier to watch this than it was to stand idle while she'd centered her nose the moment we'd stepped out of the apartment building. Luckily for her, aside from the swelling, her nose looked normal.

I kept my voice calm and quiet and my tone cautious as I approached the subject she chose. "How long as he had that temper?"

She drew a sharp inhale, irritated, and spoke through gritted teeth. "He only lost it like that once before." And before I could open my mouth, she spoke words laced with venom. "He didn't hit me."

"I understand that," I consoled, treading carefully through the water. "I—"

"He only gets like that when I do something really wrong."

I sighed, knowing it was time to drop the subject. She would only continue to defend him, only settle the idea that something wasn't wrong with this picture.

I didn't think it was him—even now, I still didn't. I had in the beginning, he was the first suspect—but now, watching her defend him pitifully like anyone in an abusive relationship would defend their abuser, it felt off.

The defense wasn't the same, wasn't executed in the same way.

He may not have started it but he exploited it.

"We can talk about whatever you like when you're ready," I replied.

"He didn't hit me—"

"I didn't mean that. We can talk about anything," I said calmly, diffusing her emotions.

"I don't want to talk about anything." She sniffled, bringing her hand up to cover the lower half of her face.

"And that's fine too."

She swallowed a lump in her throat as we rounded a corner, stepping foot on my street. When we stepped up to the front door and I dug for my key she began fidgeting.

I paused, keys in hand, and looked down at her. "You don't have to apologize tonight."

She scowled, repressing tears that I saw glistening in the corners of her eyes. "I have to. I broke her cup on purpose. I sent her hours away—_prefectures_ away on purpose. I made her waste so much time and money on me. On purpose."

"I asked you to do those things," I reminded her, asserting the sentence.

That didn't seem to matter. She hung to the shred of truth that furthered her self-loathing. "I broke her cup on purpose."

I sighed heavily, refusing to use the key. I went to reach out to her, let my free hand rest in the nook of her neck, but with the slight movement she stepped back and put more distance between us.

I let my hand fall to my side. "You don't have to do this tonight."

"Open the door," she ordered, staring me down with pitiful determination.

Pride stood her the way of doing what she truly wanted.

I didn't have to oblige—I wasn't going to—because the door was already unlocking and opening just seconds later. My mother's silhouette stood between us, and she quickly reacted to our arrival.

"Oh, my god, Aiko!" she gasped and practically lunged for the girl, quickly cradling the youth's sore face in her soft hands. "Aiko, what—how are you feeling?"

Aiko tried pulling out of the grip, but the mothering in Shiori was strong. "I—"

"That's such a silly question, oh dear… Your face…" She began ushering Aiko into the house, practically dragging the girl by her head. "Come on, Shuichi, dear. Let's put on a hot cup of tea and get everything sorted out."

"I can't stay long," Aiko said as she stepped inside.

"Have you gone home yet?" Mother asked, and Aiko sighed and took off her shoes as I did.

"My dad wants me home soon."

My mother paused, staring down at the girl dumbfounded. The small brunette's eyes widened when she remembered the blood on her face she couldn't get off was fresh.

With pursed lips, Mother wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders and began guiding her down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Aiko, we're glad you're okay!" Hatanaka sighed at the sight of the girl and stood from the table. Shuuichi, who had fallen asleep at the table, woke upon his father's movements. "Do you want to press charges? We can find the guys who did this."

"No. It's fine, really," Aiko replied with a shaky voice. She then cleared her throat. "I'm just here to apologize."

"I'm just glad you're alright." Hatanaka didn't push any further. "Way to luck out, huh? Finding a friend's parent at the airport."

"Yeah." She forced a laugh and nodded. "Really lucky. I was really lucky..."

"How'd you get away, Hojo?" Shuuichi asked, excited. "You have to be really tough to get away from thugs in the back of a van."

Hatanaka nudged his son's head, pushing it forward gently. "Now's not the time, son."

"Sorry, Hojo…" Shuuichi said with an apologetic frown. "I really am glad you're okay."

The girl's face twitched as she tried to keep herself composed. Finally, with stiff legs, she bowed deeply at the waist in the middle of the kitchen, taking the soon-to-be family by surprise.

"I'm truly sorry for making you all travel so far for nothing!" Her voice rose. Had her legs not been so stiff I would have expected her to drop to her knees and let her forehead touch the floor. "I'm sorry for dragging you into my personal affairs and making you waste money on a pointless trip! I promise to pay back any expenses."

And in that moment, with Aiko still bowing, my mother turned to me with a look I'd never imagined she could make: one of disgusted surprise, jaw agape. Mother was absolutely mortified.

"Aiko, don't worry about it!" Hatanaka reassured her hastily, worried when he saw her body trembling. She still hadn't straightened.

Shuuichi tried making her feel better. "Yeah, the car ride was actually fun! It was cool to see that part of Northern Japan!"

I'd never seen my mother angry. Frustrated, upset, even irritated, but never angry. But as our eyes briefly met, we shared the same mentality.

With a small huff she leaned to Aiko, bending slightly to see the youth's face as she still hadn't straightened. Brows furrowed and frown deepened, she gripped Aiko's arms and pulled the girl upright before dragging her out of the kitchen, arms wrapping around her shoulders to pull her close.

"Let's get you cleaned up, dear," she said, words becoming quieter with each step down the hallway.

"Shuuichi, why don't you get some tea started?" Hatanaka suggested as he sat down again, and his son nodded and headed for the pantry. "Come on and sit down, Shu-kun."

I seated myself across from him, folding my hands together on the table as I waited for him to start.

"Did she tell you anything that happened?" he asked.

And for some reason, I replied. "She just kept saying he didn't hit her."

He nodded in thought, leaning back in the chair and folding his arms over his chest. "She called me from a cellphone and told her dad she was picked up by a friend's father."

"How did he react?"

"Quiet," he replied. "Noticeably furious, but quiet." Hatanaka pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he glanced to Shuuichi brewing the tea. "The apologies to me and Shiori were subtle but copious, and he feverishly refused getting the police involved with each offer."

I glanced down to my hands on the tatami place mat, taking in the mat's color and texture.

"We can push to get the cops involved in that family but unless she tells you or Shiori what happens, we can't do anything." Hatanaka kept his voice low. "Have you been able to get her to talk at all?"

"Spare Minoru, that family is ashamed." I glanced up to him, voice matching his quiet pitch.

He cocked his head slightly in confusion but didn't ask what I meant, knowing my vague sentence meant I wasn't sure either.

"Your mother was so worried about her the entire car ride home. Fretted the entire way and then stood by the front door all night," he mumbled. "Does she have anyone else looking out for her?"

I paused and thought back to when we first met. Each encounter and experience we shared ran through my head, all leading up to this moment. She won me over for a reason and with Yusuke's predicament that left—

"I am," I replied, meeting his stare.

Hatanaka nodded slowly as Shuuichi sat next to his father. "Shiori's counting on you, Shu-kun. We both are... I'm sure Aiko's counting on you, too."

The tricky aspect about this was Aiko's boundaries. Comfort and being open only resulted when she gave the green light. But after everything she'd done to keep my human life intact, I would find the necessary balance.

"You don't want to say goodbye to everyone?" Mother's voice carried over from the stairs, and I heard their soft footsteps as they headed for the front door.

"No, just tell Shuichi I won't be going to school tomorrow," Aiko replied hastily.

I headed for the front door to find my mother on the porch calling after Aiko, who was already at the sidewalk. I stopped next to Mother, watching Aiko walk briskly down the street.

Mother's hand gripped my forearm as she sighed, and I watched Aiko pause in her stride and look up to the sky. Her gaze carried through the night, traveling over her shoulder and lingering until her eyes flickered to me. Her glossy gaze met mine briefly, purposefully, before she turned to head home.

"Shuichi," Mother said with force, grip tightening. I turned to her, looking down at the frustrated woman. "I need you to tell me the truth."

I nodded despite knowing I wouldn't.

"Does her father hit her?" she demanded, a disgusted scowl appearing on her face—another feature I'd never seen before.

Then again, my mother never had to deal with the possibility of someone she knew hitting their children.

Though it wasn't right by my mother, I knew I would do right by Aiko.

"No, I don't believe he does. What did she tell you?"

"She didn't say anything," Mother sighed, planting her free hand on her face. "She just… she just cried and apologized and begged me to let her pay for everything."

She looked out in the street, as if watching after Aiko despite her being long gone now.

"If you find out he hurts her…" Brown eyes looked up at me with a fleeting fierceness, one of dangerous determination, that quickly turned to that of sadness. "You tell me, Shuichi."

I nodded, resting my hands on her upper arms and rubbing them gently to soothe her. "Of course, Mother."

She let out a heavy, stressed exhale and guided me inside, locking the door behind her. "I was also worried about you getting home before us and not getting the note I left."

"I came home but Aiko called me a while later," I replied, giving her shoulder a light squeeze to encourage her to stop fretting. "She asked me to meet her at her apartment when she arrived."

She stopped walking in the middle of the hallway, hand flying to her forehead in frustration.

"I just cannot believe she won't press charges…" Mother mumbled. "After everything she's been through she won't even file a police report."

I tried giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure when she goes home they'll call the police."

"But it's been an entire day!" Mother pressed, still vexed. "They won't take her as seriously now that she's home and safe instead of calling at the airport." She pushed her face into her hands, shaking her head. "I should have called right after I hung up! I shouldn't have let her been so scared…"

I pulled her close, embracing her. "It's not your fault."

I wouldn't let her burden this issue too. Neither of them deserved this night. I rested my chin atop her head and she let out a heavy sigh as she rested her forehead against my shoulder.

I glanced to the door at the cold presence I felt wafting around. As I expected, a thin, slender hand drifted through the door's wood, reaching towards me. It stopped at the forearm and beckoned to me, coaxing me to approach its owner on the other side with a gesturing index finger.

I let out a heavy sigh and released my mother to look down at her.

"It's not your fault," I said again, rubbing her back. "Aiko wouldn't want you blaming yourself for this."

Her hands found themselves around her arms. "I know, but…" She stopped talking and shook her head. With a heavy inhale, she gave me a small smile. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "I'm actually exhausted. I was planning on going to sleep. I have a mock exam tomorrow."

She patted my arm as she walked past me. "Of course, dear. Would you come in and say goodnight to Kazuya and Shu-kun?"

"Of course," I said, heading into the kitchen with her.

My goodnights were quick and easy, as Hatanaka and Shuuichi sipped on their tea tiredly as they returned the gestures.

I made my way upstairs and closed my bedroom door behind me, expecting Botan. Instead, in the dark room, hovering in front of the window and capturing the moon's glow through her transparent frame, was the guide that greeted me once before the tournament.

Suzume.

She sat on her oar prim and proper, ankles crossed with the thong of her sandal dangling slightly from her socked toe. Her pristine, grey sleeves fell far below the oar and her hands rested neatly in her lap. I became wary of her—was there a particular reason Koenma would send her and not Botan…? Unless he didn't send her.

"Lord Koenma's requested you," she said in response to my calculating gaze. "Would you like me to leave while you situate yourself for the separation?"

"Yes, I would," I replied, still slightly cautious.

She floated backwards, drifted through the window, and disappeared from my sight.

I didn't bother changing clothes, aside from removing my uniform jacket. I covered myself with blankets as I crawled in bed and took a deep breath to relax my body. Last time I exited my body to see Koenma in Reikai, I had my human form. I wondered if now, after I was finally able to tap into my youko form on my own, if I would emerge from this body as a youkai.

If Koenma truly had sent her, then revealing myself wouldn't be a problem. If he hadn't, though… No, she was Koenma's employee, taking me to him to cover my identity once before.

Calming myself, I lay still for a moment, relaxed. Finally I began pushing around my ki, feeling its subtle vibration around and under my skin as I moved it, beckoned to control it. A subtle jerk encompassed my body and I felt the separation instinctively. I lifted myself easily, feeling weightless and free.

I emerged from my human body with my hands outstretched in front of me as soon as possible. Surprised, I still found my human hands. On the off-chance I was truly being deceived, I was in luck. I had to focus on the phenomenon another time, though.

I exited the room, floating gently out the window. Suzume looked to me and the ornaments dangling from her hair swayed with the turn of her head. I grabbed her outstretched hand and sat on the oar as she did. She took off slowly, guiding me into the portal in the sky.

The trip to the castle was short but the trip to his office was long. Weaving through hallways and travelling up winding staircases, we finally came to his personal office. She waited patiently by the large, gold doors after pushing on them and letting me walk in.

In front of his desk was a tall wingback chair, cushions threaded red and gold to match his décor. I stepped in front of the chair as the doors closed behind me and I came upon the sight of toddler Koenma. He slid a manila folder across the desk to me and I noted another pile of four next to him.

"I finally got everything to Mastumoto so if I see a new request in my inbox from that jurisdiction I'm going to tear my hair out," Koenma all but grumbled as he gestured for me to sit down with a curt wave. "All that's left is Akane's personal request."

Taking a seat, I reached over and picked up the first file. I sifted through it, not surprised to find it was mine.

"You remember the modified files I sent, right?" Koenma asked.

"Of course," I said, placing the open files back on the desk.

"I erased the part of your ties to Reikai," he said, putting his chin on his small hand. "You weren't supposed to have ties with us."

"But then I was seen participating in the Dark Tournament," I noted.

"Doesn't mean you necessarily had ties with us or helped Yusuke on cases. You could have been chosen or volunteered like Genkai did."

I nodded. "Then?"

"I modified the papers to get the Natsume family off your case but it was also as a precaution to just keep you off other official's radars," he said. "But now that Akane's caused a stir and you've been seen helping Reikai with the Sensui incident, my question is whether you want to stay in Ningenkai. You disappearing may be a red flag but Reikai's powers are limited in Makai."

I knew what I wanted. "Is there a possibility that this will all blow over with ease?"

"With other officials, I presume so. Things should eventually go back to how they were after the tournament for you." He shrugged. "If you want to stay you can just keep avoiding them as you have been. But with Akane, there's no telling her actions."

I had many reasons to stay now. She was not going to stop me. "Of course I want to stay."

He nodded. "Until this all blows over, which could take weeks to months depending on how much influence and energy Akane puts into searching you, you can't use your youki at all. I was able to pass it off as reiki before but if you're being observed by officials with care now—"

"I'll know when someone is watching me," I replied.

I evaded Reikai for millennia and now would not be the time they caught me.

"Just keep an even lower profile," Koenma said. "Make sure you're suppressing any and all aura." He then turned his eyes down at my open file and contemplated what would be appropriate to write.

"Then," I said seconds later, drawing his eyes back to me. "If anything else were to occur, I would be absolved of obligation."

He paused. "That's right."

I didn't want to use that as an excuse to get out of the battles that came our way, but I wanted to make sure he knew he couldn't request my help in Ningenkai from hereon if he were to restrict my youki.

"The last thing I need is to find out some official recognizes you from the tournament," he groaned, whined almost. He then quickly clarified. "That doesn't mean I won't do what I can to keep you alive but with your history, the odds aren't in your favor."

I smiled. "No, I understand, Koenma. You can only do so much."

"Good," he said simply, switching gears.

He then hopped on his desk and walked over to the file, stopping in front of it. "Moving on, I wanted you to be the one to write your file. Inclusive of whatever you want. The reason for this is when I send those files we're both aware of what was put."

I nodded. "So when Natsume flies into a rage and I'm confronted, I'll know what to say ahead of time."

He handed me a square sticky note and pen, and I quickly jotted down key points in small font. Friends with Urameshi, Yusuke; minor spiritual abilities since early youth; abilities developed once introduced to Urameshi; given pointers and trained occasionally out of intrinsic motivation.

"I'm looking over your human ancestry," he said, making subject small talk. "Just to double-check, is all. Making sure we don't have a repeat of Yusuke's background check."

I nodded. "You want me to include my involvement with Sensui? The Dark Tournament?"

"Yes and no."

I wrote again. Visiting Urameshi during day tunnel opened; was dragged into situation through means of self-defense and Urameshi's need for physical support.

When my pen pulled away from the paper, Koenma picked up the note and read it.

He shrugged and turned around to walk back to his chair. "Sounds good enough."

Good enough. I was placing my human life in the hands of someone who said my proposals were "good enough."

I let out a sigh and Koenma began laughing.

"I'm kidding, Kurama!" He sat down, reading it once more. "No, this does sound good. We need to leave the Dark Tournament out of this because then they can trace Youko Kurama directly back to you. But luckily no officials saw you in your youko form when we dealt with Sensui so this can pass."

He then gestured at me for my file and I handed it to him. He took it quickly and slapped the note inside before closing it and setting it aside. I readied myself to leave.

His voice caught me just as I planted my hands on the arm rests. "I have two more questions for you, if you don't mind, Kurama."

I paused and watched as he grabbed another folder. I knew whose it was instantly and settled in the cushion in defense.

"Hojo, Aiko, wants to be a police officer, right?" he asked, voice tainted with innocence as if he were a curious classmate.

I glared at him, seeing right through him. "Yes."

"Would you consider her trustworthy?"

His questions brought the reality of Reikai's corruption to light, that it was begging on its own to be exposed. But why he thought she should be involved in their corrupt politics was unfathomable. Her ties shouldn't bring her in here. She was far from fit to be involved in whatever he had in mind.

I didn't respond fast enough, so he spoke again. "I'm asking you because I knew despite your romantic involvement with her you'll be honest."

"Her loyalty to me, Yusuke—to us all—does not mean she is capable of being your employee," I asserted, tone sharp enough to warn him of treading where he shouldn't.

"From her, loyalty is all I need," he said dismissively. "You're free to go now."

I stood. "She shouldn't be involved in whatever it is you're planning."

"I'm not forcing her into anything, Kurama," he replied calmly. "She can refuse if she wants."

That was the issue of finding the necessary balance. Aiko had autonomy, could make decisions for herself. I could only watch over her through each decision, hoping she picked whatever was safest for her well-being and future.

Suzume's voice carried from the doors, and I turned to find them open with her standing in the middle. "I'm under the assumption we're ready to leave?"

I sent one last glance over my shoulder to Koenma before heading to the guide.

* * *

**Aiko.**

I shoved my now thoroughly wet pillow off my bed and heard it hit the floor with a soft, unsatisfying _thump_. I pushed my face in the mattress, instantly wetting the sheets and thanking the left over Vicodin for dulling the pain in my nose.

I always knew this ending was likely to happen. I knew and I went through with it—someone may say I wasn't allowed to complain but I was allowed to feel horrible. Because though I knew another drastic lie would set them off… I had to do it.

I couldn't risk it. I had to do it.

Even in the quiet apartment, with my parents sleeping in their room, the disappointment and anger was still palpable, evoking a fear and shame in me I'd wished I'd never feel again. Guilt gripped hold of my throat and stomach and heart and just _squeezed_—suffocated me.

I lifted my face from the warm sheets, breathing clear, cool air, and let my heavy lids close to soothe my tired eyes as I found a new, comfortable position. With a small sniff and a quiet exhale, I was almost lulled to sleep by the silence of our apartment until Minoru's voice murmured from the top bunk.

In English, he whispered. "I can see what's happening."

…What?

Rolling on my back, I tried to keep my eyelids open to stare up at the top bunk as I whispered in English. "What?"

Now, more dramatic. "And they don't have a clue!"

What?

My eyelids were too heavy; I closed them and furrowed my brows. "Who?"

"They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line: our trio's down to two!"

… The Lion King.

"Oh." He really had me going.

"The sweet caress of twilight! There's magic everywhere…" He paused when he heard my tired bout of giggling that quickly morphed into the earlier gut-wrenching sobs that exhausted me. Desperate to make me stop, he tried continuing… only furthering my chagrin. "And with all this romantic atmosphere… disaster's in the air."

Quickly, I inhaled sharply, controlling my crying and silencing myself. His innocence and ignorance only took me back. He was so young the last time.. he didn't understand what was happening.

"Sis…" I heard him shuffle on the bunk above, ready to roll over and peak over the edge to see me.

I quickly planted my face back in the mattress. "Go to sleep, Minoru."

The shuffling stopped and soon I could hear his soft breathing. Steadying my own, I rolled on my side and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. I settled into my exhaustion staring at the white wall against my bed.

Thoughts drifted around aimlessly from one to another until my dreams took focus on the walls. The color scheme was similar to the tiled floors at the precinct. Black shoes I wore to Hino Junior High stood out drastically against the floor.

_Aiko_.

I glanced up, finding the tell-tale sky blue uniform shirt and small badge shining brightly under the left clavicle. The officer bent at the knees, squatting slightly to be eye level with me. A soft, white-gloved hand lay gently on my folded hands in my lap. She gave me a reassuring smile.

I remembered the heart-shaped, full lips well; she adorned them with a soft, pink lip gloss. The heart split open to speak, but no words came out as the halves moved.

I asked her what she was trying to say.

_Aiko, dear._

"That's not what you really said," I tried, forcing my mouth open. "I don't remember you saying…"

_Aiko_!

I stared at her lips, noting the pink contrast against the dark olive color of her skin. She tucked a lock of straight black hair behind her ear as she continued smiling, talking.

"What are you saying?" I tried again and watched as her words and lips stayed out of sync.

_Oh, please wake up!_

I frowned, staring hard at her, confused.

My eyes trailed up from her mouth to her button nose, trying to remember her face in full. But what I knew to be sharp cheekbones on dark olive skin molded, morphed even, into soft cheekbones on warm ivory skin. The dark brown almond-shaped eyes that had been so consoling were now a wide, bright… amethyst.

I blinked away my groggy vision and let my eyes adjust in the dark room to find the grim reaper hovering on her oar in her pink kimono next to my bottom bunk.

I stared at her in a daze, wondering where the police officer went and why she had the same face as… oh.

She sighed. "Good, you're finally awake."

I blinked a few more times, glancing around my room tiredly as I lay still. Finally, my eyes landed back on her.

"Everyone here's spiritually aware," I mumbled, feeling my throat was rawer than it was before I fell asleep.

I'd breathed through my mouth. Great.

She squeaked and put her hand over her mouth before quickly hovering up to the top bunk to slyly check if Minoru was awake. She then floated down in front of me again, hand over her heart in relief.

"Did you make it out of the apartment?" My voice was ragged, dry. "Shizuru?"

She nodded with a small, reassuringly bright smile and whispered. "Yes! We were healed—like brand new now!"

I sighed in relief, eyes closing and desiring to stay shut.

"I need you to come with me," she whispered, words registering slowly as I opened my eyes again to look at her translucent form.

"Where?" I whispered back, feeling the heaviness of sleep leaving my eyelids.

"Lord Koenma wants to speak to you."

"…I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

She shook her head. "He would just like to speak to you in Reikai."

I propped myself up on my elbow. "How?"

"Well… by separating again." Her words truly woke me up—all sleep still in my eyes and head were thrown out the window.

"I can't do that," I hissed, fear caught in my throat. "What if I can't return?"

She clasped her hands together in a prayer, a plea, as she floated off her oar towards me. "Oh, Aiko, you can. I promise you."

I stayed still, wary and unsure.

"Koenma just wants to see you," she whispered.

"Why?"

She shrugged slightly. "He said he would tell me when we were both there. It's important, though. All I know is you're not in trouble."

I trembled, staring down at the white sheets beneath me. What if I couldn't get back in? …But who would know how to leave a body safely better than Botan?

"Lie back down and relax," she said, and I slowly agreed. "Then concentrate on feeling your ki."

Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my body.

"You'll be able to return to your body, Aiko!" she whispered at the sound of my heavy exhale. "I promise!"

She waited through the darkness with me to relax, and then, once I found myself drifting slowly into the blackness of sleep again, she spoke.

"Remember the way you channeled your ki into the ring, into your hands?" she asked quietly, voice drifting away. "Do it again. We'll do the same thing."

In my lucid-like sleeping state, I was suddenly more aware of my flowing ki traveling throughout my body like on a freeway, flowing erratically. A soft yet strong presence under my skin I could recognize as myself, my essence. Everything I was—from when I was an infant in the high chair and sleeping next to my mom to when I was sixteen and scribbling down the in-depth process of the calvin cycle in second hour.

Bound atoms that made everything I was tangible—to make everything about me that was now gone and developed anew, everything imperceptible.

"Now." Her voice was now hollow, distant. "Beckon your ki forward, up, but leave your body still."

My hand twitched, and I stilled, realizing I had to separate myself mentally, figure a way to tell my nerves not to respond. Again, I tried, and my hand twitched. Again. And again.

"Baby steps, Aiko," she reassured me. "Focus on your fingers first."

I did as she said, focusing solely on my fingers. I beckoned them forward, and a cool chill met my digits as I exposed my ki to the night air. This time, I wasn't on fire. I wasn't in pain.

I began focusing on my hand until it exited too, then my arm, and I continued the pattern until I could pull my head out of my body. I watched as a replica of my form slowly pulled out of my physical body, leaving slowly and calmly until I could pull out entirely with ease. Gravity disappeared again and I had trouble controlling my body. I merely twisted and turned for a while under the top bunk once I found myself floating freely.

Botan reached over and steadied me, helping me roll over slightly to see myself—my vessel—once more.

I stared down at myself, surprised at the unfamiliarity. And it wasn't just the cut in my lip or the unsightly bruise or new shiners under my eyes or the swelling around my nose, but the way that without fear clogging my attention, I was able to see myself.

For just a moment. In silence, numb.

And though I knew it was me, I couldn't recognize myself. The curves of my cheeks weren't the same. They weren't what I saw in the mirror every day. The slope of my nose, the arch of my brows, the dip of my cupid's bow, and the soft point of my chin… were all foreign.

Even now I couldn't fathom how the body below was mine.

"Let's go," she said, breaking me from my trance. She'd floated away from me, and I realized I'd been floating freely on my own. She extended her hand to me. "We need to hurry. Koenma's very busy."

Slipping my hand into her soft ki's form, she guided me to sit on her oar like her. We floated through the window of my bedroom and ascended into the night. Clutching the wood of the oar, I looked down as Botan soared through the air, flying into the cloudy sky.

I watched the lights from the city below grow smaller and smaller, turning into a constellation of stars in its own night sky.

"Hold on tight!" she warned. "Going through the portal can be a little rough for newcomers!"

I looked over her shoulder, finding a large black cloud in front of her.

With a deft wave of her hand, the dark grey of the cloud glowed a surreal tint of colors. Greys, greens, purples, and blues swayed around the definition of the cloud and meshed together psychedelically, pooling around in a vortex.

We entered the portal quickly and the second we flew into its threshold, I felt the pressure shifting. Force was exerted on me, pressuring me uncomfortably and straining my posture and body. The dark, psychedelic experience was short, as if the moment we entered the portal, we entered the night of Reikai.

I felt my bottom press against the oar with the new dimension's gravity and I found myself quickly moving one hand to clutch the sleeve of Botan's pink kimono. She flew with haste as my eyes adjusted to the darker night.

There was no city, no town, no artificial light to illuminate the world. Just the moonlight and far ahead, on the horizon of the barren land, the dimly lit figure of a large, marvelously huge castle that seemed to span forever in length.

"Is this all of Reikai?" I asked, looking around the night as my eyes adjusted to see the mountains and canyons below in better detail. There was a soft roaring noise muffled in with the wind rushing past us.

"No, this is just near the castle!" she replied. "Not many employees need to travel farther away from the River Styx."

River Styx?

I looked around again for the river, finding nothing but land until I realized what the roaring noise was.

Looking below, I could see the faint glimmer of the moon's shine along the flowing water below.

"The River Styx spans all across Reikai, it guides you straight to the castle. It's our path!" she said with a smile as she glanced to me.

Hair whipping behind us as she flew faster, the castle grew nearer and larger until we came to two large, elegant front doors. Landing upon the small cliff in front of them, Botan rapped her knuckles against the metal, sending a small echo through to the other side.

"It's Botan!" she called.

And with the crane and creak of metal, the doors opened slowly, slightly, just enough for us to walk through.

Marble walls and white tiled floors greeted us inside the large hallway. As soon as we stepped into the clearing, nothing could be seen but the seemingly never-ending bustling of Reikai's employees.

Scurrying around desks and cubicles were ogres, humans, and even some youkai in suits and kimonos heaving stacks of paperwork. Guides weaved their way through the busy floor with their assignments. We passed through the chaos unnoticed and stepped into another hallway.

Winding, extravagant hallway among winding, extravagant hallway was accompanied by curving staircases and more chaotic floors. The walk was long but it felt very short as I took in the interesting sights, so when we stopped in front of a large pair of gold doors it felt like a nice little adventure that I wouldn't mind being my last before being sentenced to hell.

She knocked once, but with how soft it seemed to be I couldn't hear an echo on the other side. It cracked open, enough for me to squeeze through. She stepped in behind me.

She closed the door quickly and it shut loudly as I looked around the room. Royal red and gold décor bathed the walls and minimal furnishing of the large private office. Botan stepped ahead of me and I trailed behind her slowly, eyes glued to the tall-backed wood chair in front of the desk.

"Come sit, Hojo." The Prince's voice came from behind the chair.

As I stepped next to it, I looked down to the red and gold cushioning against the dark-washed wood, finding it empty. I glanced up to the desk in front of me, finding towering stacks of paperwork.

"Go on, sit." His voice appeared again.

Glancing around the room, I slowly sat in the chair, sinking into the soft fabric. He was nowhere to be found.

Before I glanced around the room some more, the towering stacks of papers shoved aside to the edges of the desk to reveal the acclaimed toddler Prince. His face was softer, rounder, and his stature was definitely that of a two year-old.

A year ago, I would have screamed with laughter and let a trail of urine spill down my leg. Tonight, as I sat still and returned his steady gaze, I waited patiently for what had to be my punishment. Botan said I wasn't in trouble, but I had no reason to believe I was needed here otherwise.

Botan stood on my left at the arm of the chair, hands held together as she waited patiently for the Prince to speak.

"You knew it was me at Yusuke's, didn't you?" he said suddenly.

I stared at him, blinking slowly. So I _was _in trouble.

I refrained from glancing at Botan as I replied. "Well…"

I did, deep down. That was why I was so angry—that someone in his position couldn't do his job and do the right thing.

"You're not in trouble," he said with something like a childish sigh.

…Then why was I here?

"Part of me knew… yes," I replied slowly. "I had a feeling it was you."

He leaned his small fist on his chubby cheek as his elbow rested on his desk. "Otherwise you wouldn't have outed Kurama like that, right?"

I tensed and nodded hesitantly.

"So then I'm assuming Kurama's the one that introduced you to the other realms?"

I paused, confused. Didn't he…? I thought he knew it was Yusuke.

"No. Yusuke."

Botan bristled next to me.

He jumped up on the desk, showing his extremely short stature—shorter than I thought. Confused, he quickly spit out. "How?"

He said he knew I was friends with Yusuke since he started…

"When he was a ghost," I said as he walked to my edge. "He was trying to tell his mother not to cremate him but he didn't think he reached anyone with whatever it was he did. He noticed I could see him and asked me to help."

"And where were you, Botan?" the Prince asked, pointing an accusing finger at the guide.

"Probably ferrying someone over the River Styx at the time, sir," she replied hastily, hands flying up in defense. "I didn't see her until the next day, and by then it didn't matter if I tried lying to her since Yusuke told her a lot."

The Prince grumbled to himself a bit, and so I said. "I didn't know all about Reikai at first. I just understood the concept of it being a place of sentencing, I guess. It wasn't until Yusuke fought with Gōki that I guilted him into telling me everything."

"Gōki?!" the Prince snapped. "_Why_ were you involved in that?"

"My brother's soul was a victim," I replied quickly to defend Botan as his eyes set on her. "It was saved thanks to Yusuke, but Gōki took his soul to begin with and I wasn't going to let him get away with it. I went with them to the park—"

"_What_?! Why?" he screamed, completely bewildered. "Did you not know he was an ogre?"

"I didn't," I said with the shake of my head. "At the time, I didn't know about much other than humans and souls."

He fully turned to Botan, who was beginning to crack under pressure. In just seconds she bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Lord Koenma! I let her come with us to defeat Gōki even though I knew she couldn't fight!"

He gripped his head in confusion as his voice turned shrill. "_Why_, dumbass?!"

"Because I would have followed them," I replied, almost jumping out of my seat to stand in front of her. When he looked back to me I slowly sat back in the chair. "She wanted me to be close but stay clear. If I had followed them—which I _definitely_ would have—I could have ended up in the middle of their battle."

He didn't need to know what _really_ happened...

The Prince sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, _fine_!" He threw his hands up in something of a tantrum. "What's done is done. Whatever." He let out another frustrated sigh and looked over at me. "Now I want to know how your connection with Natsume came to be."

So this was about her…?

The words flew out easily. "We were… 'friends' before I knew about Reikai. I became aware of her involvement with Reikai when she threatened to expose Kurama."

"You were the one who tried getting information out of her," he said with a nod and walked back to his end of the table.

"Tried," I agreed as he sat back in his seat. "Failed."

He rested his elbows on the table and linked his fingers together, resting his hands in front of his binky. He stared at me for a few moments—moments that felt like hours in the quiet, large room.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking, his cheeks were plump and pressed against his eyes when they rested, masking any true expression I could have read. We stared at each other for a while with Botan fidgeting next to me in anticipation every few seconds.

Finally, his voice snaked out from behind his hands. "Would you like another chance?"

My jaw slacked. I felt Botan tense next to me.

"…What?" I stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

"Would you like another chance to extract information from Reikai's Barrier Regulation and Enforcement personnel?"

My eyes shot up to Botan, who looked just as shocked as I was as she stared down at me with doe-wide eyes. She instantly turned to him.

"But, sir! She's not a fighter; she can't—"

"That's not a problem," he said quickly.

"Are… are you sure I'm the right person for this?" I questioned. "I mean, there has to be someone else who's better skilled than me to do this. I spent two months trying and couldn't do anything."

"There can be someone better," he said with a nod. "But you've already worked your way into their circle. I could send another down in disguise to infiltrate their posse, but to get them to where you are now would take longer."

"But with my outburst at the cave's entrance—"

He waved his hand dismissively, voice calm. "She won't hold that against you, remember?"

I paused, revelation settling in heavily like a ton of bricks.

I licked my lips in thought, unsure of what to do. "What… what information are you looking for?"

"I'm suspecting foul play with… Border Patrol," he said. "Natsume's requests earlier are only reinforcing my thoughts. I want any information you can give."

I already had some.

"I…" I paused, remembering in the car. I swallowed a lump in my throat. "In the car on the way to Mushiyori, she held a conference with other heads of jurisdictions. She asked to handle the case." He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest as he listened, binky twitching slightly in thought. "They protested at first but when she said she could ask you to destroy the tape, she said you were more likely to dismiss her reasons because she was 'young and hot-headed'."

"'Defamation', she said." He nodded, striking a cold chord in my chest. "Asked to put it under my father's care instead of back in the archives if I didn't want to destroy it."

I exhaled shakily, and Botan stood next to me stiff as a board.

"I don't expect much from you, Hojo," he said. "But if you're able to get anything that shows foul play with them, I want the information. Will you do what you can, outside of Reikai's employment?"

"But, sir, you're giving her a job almost like a Messengers," Botan interrupted him. "So if you're not putting her in the books and something happens to her, she… why, _that's it_."

"That's it?" I looked up to Botan and then back at the Prince.

"Messengers deliver information." Botan drew a small breath and asserted herself best she could to the ruler. "And if that's what she's doing for you then she should be put in the books so she could have a back-up if she ever… If she's risking her life, then she deserves another body or chance like we do!"

"She's not going to be a Messenger, Botan," the Prince snapped. "I don't want Reikai to think she has ties to anyone that she doesn't already have!" He jabbed his stubby index finger at himself. "So I can't update her files. I can't just _give_ bodies, idiot!"

He turned to see me and I swallowed another lump in my throat.

"But, I understand," he sighed, tinted with a slight whine.

Another body… something I'd only need if I died… I could die.

I knew I could die—that was why I'd been so scared all those months ago. But now I was expected to pursue this—expected by someone other than myself.

"I'm not updating your files and your employment won't be on the books," he said. "But I will make a formal agreement with you—like an incentive or a stipend. An agreement between the two of us that I will honor. But it has to be within reason."

I felt an eyebrow quirk up. "…Meaning?"

"Nothing grandiose like immortality," he replied with an exasperated wave of his hand, like he heard the request daily. "Something I'm not able to do."

I wanted to say that if I were to do this, I would do this altruistically. But if I were to agree and lost my life… what about my family? What would happen to them?

I knew what I wanted.

"I want security for my family," I replied in a heavy exhale. "In every sense really, but mainly financially. I want to know that if something happens, if someone gets sick, dies, loses a job, that they can have a roof over their head and food on the table."

It wasn't as if my family wouldn't survive without my paycheck, but my parents would be lying if they said it didn't pay a bill or two. But that wasn't the point—I wanted them to be safe, secure. I didn't want them to lose sleep at night over bills anymore.

"I want them secure until each of them dies," I declared. "I want them protected if my information is leaked. I don't want them to be used as blackmail."

He didn't give away an expression and merely listened on, as if there was something else. Of course, there was. Just one more thing.

"And lastly, I want my brother put through college," I finished. "I don't mean get him in, because he'll earn his acceptance. I mean put him through."

After a moment of silence, he hummed thoughtfully and drummed his thick, stubby fingers on the desk. I waited patiently, waited for the binky to move once more. Finally, with a nod, it did.

"You've actually asked me for something I can accommodate. Money."

"Then I want it in writing; I want proof."

If I died and he didn't hold up the deal because it was just between us…

"Botan!" The Prince gestured to her, waving her closer. She stepped up next to his desk. "Write it out and be our witness."

She was given a clean sheet of white paper and a pretty, thick blue pen, and she began writing. When she finished, she presented it to the Prince first, who didn't even so much as glance at it as he whipped out a custom-made ink stamp and slapped his signature under the fine print.

He handed the paper to me and I scanned over it as many times as I could, reading the words over and over until I felt I had the paragraph memorized. I looked over to the pen Botan placed next to me minutes ago, feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety suffocate my heart and throat.

Could I really do this…?

I wanted this from the moment she threatened me: to find out why she was so hateful to youkai, so hellbent on Kurama. I wanted to know why they were covering up Chapter Black so desperately.

But… could I do this?

I always ran head first into things that could have gotten me killed, but this was more than a "could have." The chances of dying were so much higher than before—than anything I'd ever gotten myself into before. If this was as serious as it was becoming, I wasn't likely to make it out alive.

So could I do this?

I tried before—I failed. I didn't know what I was doing; I didn't know what was happening. I was blind, alone, scared. I failed on my own.

But now… I would have a guide, instructions, a plan. I wasn't alone.

I _could_ do this.

So… did I _want_ to do this?

"Hojo, you don't have to do this," the Prince said, his words distant in my train of thought, fuzzy in the background. "It was a request, not an order."

I exhaled shakily, letting out the heavy breath I'd been holding as I stared at the slightly slanted dotted line Botan made for my signature.

An "order."

Something was wrong, corrupt, and I was being given the opportunity to expose it. And with the realization that I could die for _this_, a sense of warmth enveloped me. A cocoon of security, comparable to peace, wrapped itself around me, relaxing me.

I glanced up to the Prince, finding him waiting patiently.

"But just know if you decide to go through with this, you won't be alone," he said. "We'll find people to help you and the cause."

_Because this isn't a game. This is something big_, my conscious whispered to me as I looked back at the line. _Something so much bigger than you could imagine._

And I knew as I picked up the thick, round pen that I found my right reason.

Natsume's actions have affected me, Kurama… and now Yusuke.

Kurama and Yusuke protected me; they risked their lives to save me and everyone they love many times. In return, I would protect them… and everyone else like them.

I printed my name on the dotted line, pressing the pen hard against the paper to see my signature clearly in dark blue ink.

* * *

**A/N: **Summary – Aiko reveals Makai and Reikai to her father and that Yusuke is Reikai's detective, and manages to keep Kurama's identity and alibi in check. He believes her but tells her she's not allowed to be involved in Yusuke's affairs anymore.

New school, new meds, new way of life I'm not used to. Fall quarter isn't over yet. I hope to have Part V finished before winter quarter starts but I don't know if I can make it happen. I'll try. Bear with me. Also sorry if you don't like the pacing? It'll pick up soon.

Thanks to _Bloody-Asphode11, OhhTaylorJade, DIA MN D S, YuYuHakushoObsesser, UsagiTsukin0, _and a guest for reviewing last chapter, and thanks to everyone who's followed and faved. I truly love the support and hope to keep receiving it. Y'all make this fun. Muah.


	10. Let The Games Begin

**Yusuke.**

If she burped like a man one more ti—she did it again. Just now. She let out that gas-filled rumble from her throat again just now.

"I was wondering why you and Kurama haven't hooked up and I'm guessing _that's_ why," I groaned, shoving the can of beer in my face and downing the last of it.

She belched again out of spite. "There's plenty reasons why we haven't gotten together and that's probably because I don't know if he even—"

No, I didn't want to hear this shit. "Just stop talking. Just shut your trap."

"You brought it up and I'm on my fourth beer," she said, shrugging. "I'll talk about it. I'll _talk about it_."

"Go ahead, I ain't listenin'," I replied, watching my ball drop into the cluster of pins.

All that time with Queen Witch and she suddenly couldn't handle four beers? This beer was shit too, like literal piss water or something. I wasn't even buzzed.

She knew I called her bluff as she shoved the can to her face and mumbled into the aluminum. "I don't want to talk about it either, really."

We sat in our favorite pachinko parlor. Shades on, collars up. All around us were sounds of clicks and jingles and bells. Surrounded by lazy parents, losers, gambling addicts, and a few teens like us, we kept a low profile in the far back corner of the parlor.

I let her take the seat next to the wall so she didn't have to sit next to the guy who could have possibly been a dad but was probably divorced because of a gambling problem.

Smelled like hard liquor too.

We'd probably pull a "hey, mister" on him once we finished this pack of beer so we could get something decent.

She flicked her lever again, sucking her teeth in irritation and drawing my eyes to her briefly.

Her shades weren't fooling anyone. I could only see the left side of her face but I knew under those shades were some nice new shiners.

I knew she wouldn't want to talk about it so I didn't bother bringing it up. I didn't really want to be reminded of how much of an ass her dad could be either.

Her slot went off, making loud noises and chimes as she collected more and more balls. The signature jingle from a popular TV show played loudly and she danced in her chair, beer can clutched tightly in one hand as she threw up strange gang-like signs in the air with the other.

"See me and these balls at the cash-in counter, bitches!" she cheered.

"_Shhhhhhh_!" I shoved my empty beer can into her cheek, pushing her head. "Shut up, moron!"

She swatted my can away and continued dancing until the music died and then curled up in her chair. As I looked down the aisle to make sure nobody was going to come ask for our IDs, she snickered.

She pulled a few of the silver balls into her plastic bucket and when I felt the coast was clear I returned to fingering the lever and setting off my balls into the playground.

"So what'd you decide to do with the Prince?" she asked, resuming her play.

"Haven't decided anything yet."

"Border Patrol on your ass?"

"Not yet."

"Are you going to fight to stay here?" she asked, turning to face me as her machine rang loudly again.

"Don't know."

Her eyebrows rose up from behind the large shades. "You don't want to stay here?"

"Don't know."

We sat in silence but I could feel the anger boiling around her. Geez, I could only imagine how Keiko was going to take this if Aiko was already upset. I didn't even say I was leaving and I had to watch for a stray fist now.

"Well, _I_ made a decision," she sighed after a minute.

"What?" I fingered the lever again, sending more balls into the playground.

"I don't know how to put it?" She pulled the can to her face, taking a sip. "I don't know if you could say he hired me but…"

"He"? …Koenma?!

"He _what?!_" My machine went off, ringing loudly as I turned in my chair to face her. "He did _what_?"

He hired her as Reikai's detective?!

"I'm not on the books," she said, speaking into her can to keep her voice low. "But I'm… I'm working for him."

How stupid could she get?

"You're Reikai's new detective?"

He replaced me that fast?! With _her_? Was his diaper wrapped too tight? Some lack of blood to his head had to be involved with _that_ decision!

"No."

Oh. Phew.

"Then what?" She mumbled a reply and I couldn't hear her. "Huh?"

She mumbled again.

"Huh?"

"Info."

…What.

I squinted at her, leaning my right ear towards her. "Huh?"

"_Info_." What?

On Border Patrol? …Oh. I sat back in the chair and flicked the lever again.

"Sure you're up for that?" I asked.

Well, Koenma wouldn't send someone to do something if they couldn't do it, especially not her. He wouldn't ask her to do anything she couldn't do. Maybe this time if Aiko had some direction she could give him some info instead of wandering around like a blind bat…

Still, something wasn't sitting right with me. I didn't like this. She shouldn't be risking her life for Koenma; that wasn't her job. She shouldn't be put through the kind of shit I went through.

She let out a heavy breath. "Yeah."

Tongue in cheek, I decided to tell her what I'd really been considering so I didn't tell her what I thought about her decision. "Thinking of going to Makai."

"_Why_?" Her hand hovered over the lever in shock.

I shrugged. "Koenma asked me in Makai whether I wanted to come home. I answered so confidently, too… that I wanted to come back. But I'm not sure that's what I really wanted."

"The fact you even said it so confidently to begin with means _something_, though," she asserted.

"Yeah but… I guess this is a bad way to put it or something but," I paused. "I'm bored."

She didn't reply and I didn't say anything else. Finally, after a few more pulls of the lever, she spoke through gritted teeth.

"You're always out to get yourself killed, you know that?"

She didn't get to talk now. I repressed a scowl and shrugged, keeping my comments at bay. "It's been over a year now and it feels natural? I don't know. Right now I just don't feel like I should be here. It's boring."

"Basically, you're saying you don't have anything here worth staying for."

Woah, the _fuck?_ She was so curt it took me by surprise. That wasn't the same as her "you're a reckless idiot" attitude. That was straight up _bitter._

"Don't bring Keiko into this," I groaned.

"I'm not," she replied harshly. "You are."

I sniffed, avoiding Keiko like the plague. "I'm going to talk to Koenma about everything in a few, actually."

She sat back in her chair, not bothering the play the game anymore. We sat in silence for a few minutes until she reached for the machine.

"I should get home…" she mumbled, pulling out all her silver balls from the little pit.

Ugh, I didn't know which was worse: Keiko's slaps or Aiko's anger.

"How'd you get out anyway?" I asked, hoping to just kill the atmosphere the other convo created.

This convo wasn't going to bring a better atmosphere but if I could get her to lay off me then I'd bring it up.

"It's his way of apologizing, I guess," she replied. "I'll have some freedom now. It won't be much though, because even though we don't want to be around each other he gets pissy if I'm gone too long."

"He's letting you ditch class?"

"Like hell he wants me to show up with bruises on my face," she scoffed. "Do you know how much makeup it takes to cover all this even if I use _lipstick_ under the foundation? I have to repay Shiori and her fiancé for all the finances for the goose chase I sent them on so I have to conserve what I can. My Kagami Brawl money is for rent and bills, so I really don't want to dip into that."

I stared at her for a minute before asking. "Did your reiki spike when you went home?"

She shook her head. "No, it's easy to repress. Now, even when my emotions go haywire it doesn't come out."

I nodded. "Guess it's good he didn't see it then."

She nodded too. "Would have had even more explaining to do."

We waited at the cash-in for a younger clerk to pick our prizes. The guy knew we weren't of age but he let us pick anyway. We then went to another vender across the street to sell the prizes, and we waited in silence as the tellers counted our amounts.

"If you leave, you won't be able to come back," she said suddenly as she put her money in her wallet.

"They can't tell me what to do," I snorted.

"You're going to be gone a long time." She pursed her lips and situated her purse on her shoulder. "Who knows when or even _if_ you can come back."

I shrugged and we began heading out the building. "Won't be that bad. You got your own job to worry about now."

If her sunglasses weren't still covering her eyes I would have seen them roll. "That's not… What_ever_. I have to go."

We stepped foot into the early morning light and despite just telling me she was leaving, she stood still.

"See ya," I said, waving and waiting for her to walk, but she didn't move. "…What?"

"Kurama's going to come to you," she said.

"About?"

"The Prince and my dad."

"You don't want me to tell him about your new job?"

"No. I'll tell him."

"And about your dad?" I grimaced.

"I just want you to tell him it wasn't my dad."

_Shiiiiiiittttt_…

"I do _not_ want to be caught up in your relationships, Aiko_. Come on_."

When I got caught by Minoru that one night over about a year ago, I was there to witness how her father acted. Like, I was sure he wasn't anything near what she experienced last night, but even that was wrong on a hell of a lot of levels.

He liked to get in her face and corner her a lot, intimidate her.

She pulled her sunglasses up to sit on her head, showing me the pretty shiners she got last night and the nasty bruise under her right eye.

"Look at my face and tell me you're going to tell him my business," she ordered. Her nose was a bit swollen too...

Uuuuuuggh. "Can't you guys keep me out of this?"

"He's going to you because I'm not talking about it," she said, pointing a slender index finger into my chest, her red nail piercing the flannel's fabric. "I know he is. And you won't talk about it either. Just tell him it's not my dad and leave it."

"Why do I have to be in this…" I grumbled and found my hands thrown in the air. "I don't even know what happened!"

"Yeah, but we both know you have some functioning muscle in that brain that works sometimes. I'm sure you had ideas that bounced around in that head for _maybe_ five seconds."

"Not really enticing me to help, you know."

"Just do it, please," she said, shaking her head in defeat and putting her shades back on.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. 'Course."

"I really should get going," she sighed.

I held out my hand to her, waiting for a quick, hip shake goodbye, but she pushed it out the way and wrapped her arms around me. My arms found themselves in the air, surprised, since it wasn't like I just came back to life again or anything. Eventually as the seconds seemed to drag on I found myself scratching my cheek.

"Promise me you'll let me know what you choose." The words were supposed to be nice, but the tone was harsh. "I want to see you off if you're leaving."

I hung my head and sighed. I rested my arm around her shoulders and my face in her hair.

"Nah, I'm going to skip out on your ass. _That's_ a promise."

"Fuck you."

And with that, I found myself watching her as she walked down the street. She walked with a new pace, a new sort of aura—a saunter, almost…

I wondered why she took the job.

_I waited outside my bathroom door, hand hovering over the knob. I wanted to knock. I mean, I knew she wouldn't answer and I'd just end up standing outside the bathroom. Not like she was suddenly stripping in there…_

_With a small sigh, I opened the door and found her hunched over the sink, water running. I closed the door behind me before walking up next to her. I leaned my back against the counter, staring back at the door._

_I didn't want to look at her… well, I did. But I didn't think she wanted me to look at her. I could see her from the corner of my eyes though, and she just stared at herself in the mirror, face long and white like she'd just seen a… yeah._

_We stood in silence for a while and I knew she knew I was there. I found myself saying the first thing that came to mind I thought would help._

_"You wouldn't mind it happening, you know? And then it happens and you see everything around you and then suddenly you kind of mind."_

_She didn't reply but I could feel her gaze shift slightly towards me._

_"But it took me a while to mind," I said._

_"I've always looked like this," she mumbled, lips barely moving._

_"Yeah. You had some days where you looked fuller and then you had your days where you looked sicker."_

_"Nobody ever really said anything…"_

_"Didn't know how you'd take it. Didn't exactly want to upset you or encourage you."_

_"Yeah…" She stared down at the running water. She had this kind of sadness wafting around her, like she'd been lied to her entire life. "I thought I wouldn't mind it happening either."_

_She wanted to wash her face, wake herself up, but she couldn't bring herself to put water on her face._

_I stared down at the tiles below and figured I didn't really need to_ think_ of anything to say. I kind of already knew._

_"You got a second chance, Aiko." My arms found their way across my chest. "You have to take this chance and use it. Next time you die, make sure you're going out how you want to go out. Do it on your terms for the right reason."_

_She stared down at the water some more before asking. "What's my right reason?"_

_I shrugged. "You'll just know."_

_She continued staring at the drain, watching the water swirling down. Then with a deep breath, she quickly pooled some water in her hands and splashed it on her face. She ran her fingers through her hair before turning off the water. She planted her hands on the counter and I looked over to her._

_She was still looking at her reflection. She stood up straight after a minute, staring herself down in the mirror._

_"Thank you."_

_"Don't mention it." I nodded to the door. "Let's just get back out there."_

"Didn't take you for a coffee kind of guy." That familiar voice broke my attention.

I looked up to find prince shit head standing across the table from me in a beige suit and slacks. He wore a matching bandana over his forehead to cover his mark, like the bandana was any less suspicious. He sat across from me.

"Looking to try new things, I guess. With cream, it's alright."

Koenma sighed and turned the subject on him, as usual. "I'm not being charged with anything yet. At least, not officially. But don't let your guard down because my father's planning something, I know him."

"Like a way to take me out? Big deal." I took another sip of the coffee, which quickly turned on me. Didn't taste as good anymore. I reached for a sugar packet and decided to dump some in and see if it got any better. "I'm bored as hell."

Koenma cocked an eyebrow at my words and I grinned at him. His brows furrowed for a second and then his expression turned questioning, calm.

"Do you regret it?"

"What?"

"Returning to Ningenkai."

"It feels like something's missing, I don't know." I shrugged, watching a pretty waitress waltz past, balancing a couple of drinks on her tray. "I'm sure I'd feel the same if I chose to stay in Makai."

Koenma didn't reply as I took another sip.

Eh.

"You ordering anything?" I asked, and he shook his head.

Since when did his fat ass not want to order any food?

I didn't argue, not wanting to foot whatever bill he'd rack up if he changed his mind, and quickly set the coins and tip on the counter.

We headed out the café, walking aimlessly through the streets of the city.

"You should talk to Genkai," Koenma said. "I'm sure she'd be willing to help you figure it out."

I repressed a crude laugh. That old biddy would just say something like: "You're acting like a sniveling wimp. It's your ass; wipe it yourself."

"Yeah, doubt it," I replied.

But I knew I'd end up on her doorstep anyway, and he knew I would too. She was really the only person that could give me some guidance about this.

Aiko and Keiko weren't people I could talk to about this; they would want me to stay. Kuwabara wouldn't agree with my decision to head off. Hiei wouldn't give a shit so he wouldn't be any use to talk to. Kurama could help.

He would be a good person to talk to about it too… Nah, he has Aiko to worry about. I wouldn't bother him.

"Also, what the fuck is wrong with you?" I side-glanced to Koenma, who returned the look with something of complete innocence.

"What?"

"Hiring Aiko. Your Dad drop you on your head all the time or something?"

He scowled at me. "She is quite useful for what I need done."

"She can't even fight—you really think what you're getting her into won't get violent?"

"Her not being able to fight isn't a problem."

I knew exactly what that meant. I shook my head, finally understanding why Aiko always got so upset over me.

"She's got enough shit in just her home life to deal with and you want her to go undercover and be a spy?"

He gave me a blank stare, giving a snippy reply as if the answer was obvious. "Yes. I did not force her into anything. She chose to take the job." Before I could open my mouth, Koenma cut me off, quickly changing the subject. "I hope you heed my advice and stay alert, and if you do decide to go to Makai, I will set an arrangement with my father. If nothing works out, we will just send you illegally."

Reikai was such a crock of shit I couldn't even figure how they functioned.

"Alright." I nodded, giving him a warning stare that I wasn't going to let him drop the subject. "But if I leave and she's not alive when I get back, I'm holding you responsible."

"I'm responsible for everything that happens," he replied simply.

I couldn't tell if his tone was tainted with sarcasm or disdain because it was true. Probably both, now that I thought about it.

* * *

**Kurama.**

"Reikai's first detective," I mused. "Do you really think she can help you decide?"

"Don't think so," Yusuke said. "But she stopped being a detective for some reason. Maybe she could help me decide… but that depends on why she left."

I sat on the bench, waiting for the bus with Yusuke. He leaned against the post in a suit a tad too big for him and left the jacket unbuttoned to show his button-up. I crossed one leg over the other, feeling the fabric of my khaki's ride up slightly.

"I'm not sure if she would sway you to go to Makai," I said. "In all honesty, I doubt it. She's worked for Reikai and hasn't hid herself from them. She's on good standing with them in that regard, at least."

"Kurama," he said with a grin. "Man, I know why you're here."

Now, I truly cared about what he wanted to do. We fought together for months now, side by side. We were comrades, our group, brothers in arms. But his decision to go to Makai would not change that. While we may not see each other after he departs, the relationship would not alter.

A relationship wasn't affected with his decision and he knew this. And so he called me out with no malicious intent.

"She told you I would ask, didn't she?" I smiled up to him, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Told me exactly what to say, too."

I could hear her now: "Thanks for ratting me out, you piece of shit."

"So, which do you want to know about first?" he asked.

"Koenma's arrangement with her," I tried.

"Said she was going to tell you about that on her own," he said, pinching his fingers and dragging them over his lips, pretending to zip them shut. "Have to ask her."

"Then I'd like to know about her father."

Even though he knew the question was coming, I could see his tongue push into his cheek, his face try to repress a cringe.

"It wasn't him." He shrugged.

It wasn't him.

I couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. "Could you elaborate?"

He shook his head. "I don't…" He then sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Don't bring this up, but it wasn't her dad. I mean, he kind of… like, exploits that shit and it's fucked up. But it wasn't him."

"Wasn't him," I repeated.

The only clue I'd been given this entire time.

"Look, I really don't know. I just kind of did some thinking on my own," he groaned and cocked his head back on the post before letting it hang forward. "From what I can tell, they never caught the guy. And that's all I'm saying. She would seriously lynch me for telling you _that _and it's probably not even true."

How could…

"Ah." A possibility flashed through my mind briefly. I glanced up to him and he returned the gaze with a small nod.

"Yeah," he said with a sniff. "So don't bring it up. Don't even _hint_ you have an idea."

"Then on the off-chance she smells me lying, it's probably best you head to Makai." I gave him a wry smile and he gave me the finger.

"I don't even know what I'm going to talk to this lady about," he grumbled, craning his neck around to see if the bus would roll around the corner. "I feel like Genkai's just passing me off to her."

"I wonder what advice she could even give, honestly. There's also the possibility that she just gave up her position to have a normal life, which seems most plausible."

"And then I still won't really know what I want to do," he grunted.

"Yusuke, I believe you do know what you want to do."

He sent me a lingering glance and sighed. "Yeah but I feel like if I end up going, I'll feel like I made a mistake. It's that 'wanting what you can't have' crap, like a wolf crying for the moon."

I paused in thought. The short breeze that brushed past us was the only sound until I decided to speak aloud what he didn't want to.

"Your body will adjust to the youkai heritage that's been awakened in you," I noted, and he watched me carefully. "Now you'll age at a slower rate than normal. There's a possibility that you may even live as long as youkai do."

"Like forever?"

"Youkai can live for millennia, but eventually it is possible for some to die of old age." I decided to keep it short since the subject of youkai and aging varied throughout races, though one thing was for sure: we would all witness countless generations of Ningenkai's inhabitants throughout our time. "Of course, the only other way to die is be killed or commit suicide, but youkai do have their age limits."

He stared me down and then looked to the concrete sidewalk below.

"Whatever decision you make, whatever advice you receive that sways your choice, make sure to keep that in mind."

"That why you stay here in Ningenkai?" he asked.

I nodded. "I have many reasons to stay now, and when those reasons are gone, I can return to Makai if I choose. I have that freedom of choice. And now, you might too."

The bus rolled around the corner and he straightened up from leaning on the pole.

I could see it in his eyes as he watched the bus come to a stop in front of us. He knew Keiko knew it, he knew Aiko knew it. He knew everyone knew it. And in the back of his mind this whole time, he knew it too.

"Thanks, man," he said as he walked to the opening door of the bus. He sent a genuine grin to me over his shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind."

I nodded in reply, returning the grin with a smile. As the bus' doors hissed closed and began to head off, I wondered if he would stay knowing our friends didn't have the luxury of time we did.

Aiko's anger simmering from her very being and practically warming the cool night air around us only hours later told me she had a feeling he wouldn't. She was just steps behind me, quiet and noticeably upset and unable to control her emotions even when inviting me to go to the store with her that evening.

She called me from a payphone about an hour ago.

_"Have you sneaked out?" I asked._

I glanced to her over my shoulder as I walked, finding her face to be well covered with makeup. The bruises couldn't even be seen.

_"No, he lets me out every day for a few hours," she replied. And there it was, the cycle of abuse: the tension building, the incident, the reconciliation, and the calm. "I just wanted you to come with me to the department store to get a cup."_

_They were on the reconciliation and would soon return to the calm._

_"One cup," I clarified._

_"Yes."_

I sighed and she adjusted the strap of her cross-body purse. We hadn't spoken for the duration of the walk. She didn't even greet me when we met at the nearby park.

Then there was her knowing I talked to Yusuke, so a portion of the negative emotions wafting around was directed at me. I knew, though, that she wasn't too upset with me if she still wanted my company.

I figured I'd let her settle and start whatever conversation she wanted.

We finally arrived at the department store and I stepped inside first, feeling the AC at the door on high, pushing a heavy breeze past me. I heard the rough blues play softly from the ceiling speakers as the door chimed when I stepped inside.

It chimed again as Aiko entered. It chimed once more and before I could glance back to see why she stalled, she picked up her pace to walk ahead of me. I followed her leisurely, eyeing familiar bedding and curtains in my home. It was when I passed by a plastic covered duvet that I felt a familiar spark, one of my own.

I tensed, senses becoming hyper alert. I debated what to do, wondered why they appeared. They briefly let their youki flourish; daring to tip off any Reikai officials that may be lurking as a citizen just to let me know my attention was wanted. If they decided to come for me any other time, I wouldn't have minded. But they caught me with her and she was now a liability.

Depending who they were, what they wanted, I couldn't let her leave. For all I knew, they could harm her, use her against me. The last thing I wanted was to send her off… even though keeping her was just as dangerous.

I found her in the aisle next to the silverware, squatting and looking at the glass cups marked individually.

At least I could keep an eye on her if she stayed with me.

How long had they been following me?

I stood over Aiko, watching her decide between the glass in her hand and the one on the shelf.

"This looks like hers, doesn't it?" she asked, and I knelt next to her.

Mother bought many things from this store. "I'd go as far as to say that's the glass."

I focused on the energy that was lost, disappeared, and contemplated where they may be. Not likely in the store, though I didn't know who was my threat. They concealed their youki well, meaning they had a real reason to hide—they were powerful, a threat to Ningenkai.

If they released any more youki to catch my attention they could very well be put on Reikai's radar.

She set the glass down on the shelf and began moving her hands, signing. Though I was able to pick up movements and some signs, I never found the time to crack open the book she gave me. Being around her family after winter break, though, I was able to understand some of the language.

When I merely stared at her, trying to place the movements and form the sentence, she stared at me in tired disbelief. "Really?!"

After quick thought, I remembered some signs well enough to get the gist.

_What should we do about them?_

She felt the youki flourish too.

I sighed, debating, and finally mouthed: "Stay close."

She nodded and picked up the glass from the shelf. I felt the area around us as she reached the cashier and paid for the cup. Their exchange was brief and the young man behind the counter encased the glass in multiple layers of paper to keep it from breaking in the bag.

We stepped out the store and as the brisk air hit my face, I began scouting for the suspects among the crowded sidewalk. I knew as I scouted, searched faces and scents, I wouldn't find them. I would have to put myself in seclusion so they would reveal themselves.

Aiko's free arm snaked through mine and she held me like an actress would her beau on the red carpet. I pulled her hold closer with the tug of my arm, ensuring our desires to not lose each other in the crowd, to be pried from each other.

The notion of her proximity was even more important seeing as how adamant she was before to keep her distance.

We continued our walk, and though I couldn't feel their youki, I knew they were watching. I turned into a nearby alley at such a sudden it practically pulled Aiko off her feet.

She stumbled behind me, her hand still gripped on my upper arm. She stood up straight as I noted the three figures at the other end of the alleyway.

"Let go," I whispered to her, stepping slightly in front of her to hide her with my stature.

Defiant, her grip on my cotton sweater became tighter and she stood her ground, staring the figures down. With their concealing cloaks, I figured they adorned talismans underneath to keep their youki at bay. I could only imagine what she thought they looked like, as even I was wondering.

They were strong. But who they were was a mystery.

They waited patiently, as if waiting for her to leave. She wouldn't and I wasn't going to trust that route tonight.

"I'm not fond of late night visitors," I said to the three, ensuring them I wouldn't risk her well-being. "Those discussions tend to escalate into violence."

The one in the middle, the tallest with his face shadowed by a straw hat and heavily wrapped scarf, took his hand out of his pocket and a swirl of ki rounded itself in his clawed hand.

I shifted myself in front of her again, putting her completely out of their sight. A small ball solidified and I quickly realized it was not a weapon.

"Take this," he said with a gravelly, low voice. "It's a message ball from Lord Yomi."

I tensed in surprise as he tossed me the ball. _"Yomi?"_

It landed in my free hand with ease, and I felt the familiar warmth of ki surrounding it, one I hadn't felt in hundreds of years. It was indeed Yomi's.

"What does he want with me?" But of course, I wouldn't get a message from an errand boy. A portal ripped behind him and the three disappeared into it instantly.

I could only figure one reason, guilt pushing it to the top of the list of possibilities: revenge. But why _now?_

He must have felt my youki when I was in Makai fighting Sensui. I stared down at the purple, glowing ball, wondering what he had in mind.

It was then I felt the tight grip had loosened from my arm and traveled to my hand. Thin fingers laced themselves through mine.

"Let's go!" Aiko snapped, tugging on my hand as she headed for the sidewalk. "Unless they timed their departure for a natural rip in the barrier, Reikai officials will be here any minute."

She tugged again, breaking into a run, and I was forced to follow with her grip still tight. She pulled me out of the alley and through the crowded sidewalk, pushing past people who walked opposite us.

"We're fine," I said, but she only held my hand tighter. "We're far enough."

She ignored me and pulled me to the edge of the side-walk, stopping at the cross walk. She let go of my hand and turned to face me, ready to interrogate.

"What did you do _now_?!" I wanted to say her expression was anger, but her face dropped to that of fear. "Who's…" She hushed her voice after looking around. "Yomi?"

I eyed the area briefly, scanning for any other subordinates—Reikai's or Yomi's.

"He was an old ally," I replied, watching as people poured in next to us and waiting for the cross walk light to change.

"_Old_ ally," she repeated, her words dripping with frustration.

I inched towards her and stopped immediately. I held my hand out, letting it hover closer to her shoulder. "May I?"

She watched my hand and then nodded curtly, letting me rest my hand on the back of her neck to pull her in close.

"He was a hindrance to our group," I whispered in her ear, smelling the familiar scent of cucumber melon and cigarettes wafting up from her skin and hair. "He was reckless and hot-headed. We couldn't afford losing any more men or marks. I sent an assassin, hired someone to kill him."

Her hand found its way to the back of my neck; her fingers weaved themselves in my hair leisurely. The endearing and comforting gesture was then quickly tainted.

"It obviously didn't fucking work, now did it?" she hissed, her breath warm against my ear before she pulled away to cover her face in her hands. The shopping bag slid to her elbow, dangling loosely. "You're fucking kidding me, Ku—_Shuichi_." She looked around after she corrected herself in public. "You're fucking… You're fucking _kidding me!"_

The cross walk sign flickered from red to white, and the crowd surrounding us continued on with their night, stepping into the street.

"You're fucking kidding me!" she screamed, hands travelling to her forehead and gripping it in pain. "Do you understand how much jeopardy that puts us in?!"

"He won't come near you. I _will_ make sure of that," I reassured her, hands hovering around her shoulders in hopes to calm her down. "And whatever you have planned…" I paused, careful of my words. "Won't be jeopardized."

"I know they fucking won't come near me or my family," she replied. "Because they minute they see me near Natsume, they won't come with in a fifty kilometer radius of _my_ ass." *****

"Then I'm hoping you'll enlighten me why you're in frenzy if you feel safe."

She blinked slowly and stared at me, and then blinked again. She cocked her head forward with a more than incredulous look on her face.

"Have these past few months not sunk in yet?" she asked, completely bewildered. She stepped up to me, standing on her toes to close our distance and put her face to mine. "Your problems are _my_ problems. I didn't take a wall to the face and disgrace myself and my family _again_ for shits and giggles. I did it to help you all, to be useful—to do the right thing."

"Aiko—" She cut me off again.

"I know you have each other," she said, rocking back on her feet to stand normally. "I understand how much you guys have been through together. I get it, I do. I'm not trying to get between that. But…" Her eyes held a glint of sadness, desperation to be acknowledged. "Just like how you'll rush to Kazuma's or Yusuke's side to help them, just like how they'll rush to help you… _I'll_ rush to your side, too."

She shoved the bag into my chest and I quickly gripped the plastic before it fell. Watching her turn on her heels just as the cross walk light began flashing red, her figure grew smaller and darker in the night. But her lingering scent remained.

* * *

**Aiko.**

The liter water bottle hung loosely between my fingers as I stared at the doorbell. I screwed off the cap and brought the bottle to my lips to take another long swig.

I wasn't worried about Yomi's lackies stalking me out here; they wouldn't want to get caught around Border Patrol and be traced back to the head honcho. I was more worried about Shiori and the Hatanaka's.

Maybe they would think I was Border Patrol too. Worth a shot to hang around the Minamino household for a while if it was possible. Keep them from preying on Kurama…

I would run the idea by Kurama at school tomorrow.

Before ringing the doorbell, I dug in my purse to make sure I put the little compact communicator in one of the inner pockets. The zipper added the extra protection to make sure it didn't fall out.

I was a bit nervous, honestly.

_"Tomorrow's easy!" Botan smiled when she whispered, floating near my window on her oar. The moonlight shone through her, giving her a glow I was just so envious of. Minoru was sound asleep as we were up in the dead of night. "Just make amends with the girls and get on their good side again."_

_"Then this is for…?" I trailed off, looking at the slim, plum compact communicator lined with silver._

_"You, silly!" she clarified. "Lord Koenma had it made for you since he couldn't give you the old one that's been seen and made by other officials. You'll use it to get in contact with him if you're not near a guide—me! It's meant to be used just for telling him important info!"_

_I nodded and got up from my bed to find my purse. "Anything else?"_

_When I slipped the compact into a little pocket inside the black leather, she replied. "Koenma is having me search for help."_

_"Help?"_

_"Well, they'll go back to Tohoku University, right? You obviously can't always be in Tohoku."_

_"If you're going to have someone else watch over them in Tohoku then what's the point of me—"_

_"You just need eyes and ears in Tohoku! They're just watching them, finding patterns in what they do, where they go… The person enlisted won't talk to them unless instructed."_

_"Alright." I stood up straight, hands finding their way to my hips. "Then 'Operation Fuck Border Patrol' is a 'go' tomorrow?"_

_She laughed hesitantly. "Yes… It is. So don't be afraid to get anything out of them! Make up with them and don't be afraid to delve into politics!"_

_I nodded. "We'll see how things go."_

I had my orders: butter them up, be "friends" again, and don't be afraid to inch into political questions or get any info that drops out. I was in the clear for all three. I was confident I could do this.

Screwing the cap back on, I all but stabbed the doorbell with my index finger. Just a few seconds after the chime echoed softly through the house, the door opened to reveal a new live-in. Braided black hair lay over her shoulder as she gave me a polite smile.

"Hello!" She smiled wide, showing pearly whites and crinkling around the eyes despite her young age. She cocked her head to the side. "May I ask who you are?"

"Hojo," I replied. "Hojo, Aiko. I'm here for Natsume, Akane."

"Who is it, Satsuki?" Natsume called, coming around the corner of the hallway. She paused when she saw me, and I tensed, wondering what would happen. Luckily, she sighed dramatically. "Thank _god _you are here. They will _not_ shut up!"

Satsuki stepped aside, letting me in. Natsume practically scurried across the foyer to me as I began taking off my ankle boots.

"Ami will not stop singing the same damn song over and over!" Natsume wailed. "And Hitomi is there helping her and it's some fucking _children's_ song. If I hear her rehearse it one more time I swear to _god_ I am blowing my brains out."

"What song?" I asked, and she led me into the first hallway.

We ascended the stairs and made our way down the next hallway, passing by a bathroom, her father's study, her brother's room… I peeked into her brother's room as we walked past, noting he wasn't home—shouldn't be since it wasn't break yet.

"_This_ song," she seethed, stepping closer to her room at the end of the hall.

My attention was drawn to the cute tune; a cheerful guitar pick accompanied by a violin and piano. Hayashi's voice fluttered over the tune simply, tone well maintained. The thing about her voice was that it wasn't magnificent but well-controlled—she knew how to hold a note, control the muscles in her throat.

And that was what made her singing pretty, attractive, enticing. I knew with the way she kept her voice cheerful that she could sing anything she set her mind to, any style she wanted.

"_We're all friends even when we go home_."

Memories of grade school rushed through me, a chill sense of nostalgia prickling my skin as it washed over me. I felt like I was at Tomoe Elementary again; I was in music class, practicing a song with everyone in 1-C.

Natsume groaned as we stepped foot in her room, and my eyes were drawn to the blonde in front of the vanity. She stood with her back straight, tense as if to restrain herself from the flamboyance and dramatics someone with her talent would display on the center stage.

I glanced to the queen-sized bed, finding Fukui sitting on the edge and staring out the window, humming along with Hayashi's song.

"I thought vocal performance was more… I was thinking like… opera, I guess?" I whispered to Natsume.

"God, it is," she grunted. "But she's taking this stupid Child Development class and as a project for it she's going to have her group of kids do a performance. Her studios and convocations are so much better than this, I can listen to those rehearsals all hours of the day—this is just annoying."

Hayashi stared at herself in the vanity, taking in every inch of her every movement to make sure she didn't break into the dramatics she was probably used to.

"_But even though it's time to say goodbye, I am still happy because we will see each other again soon_._ Tomorrow always come_."

"Please stop, Ami," Natsume cried as she trudged to her bed. "I just took a Valium and you are _ruining_ it."

Hayashi let her words drift to hums as she spun on the balls of her feet gracefully to face us. "You can pause the tape, Hitomi."

With a small click from where Fukui sat, the music stopped.

"Thank god." Natsume plopped down on the porcelain white covers face first. Just seconds later she groaned. "I don't want to repack everything."

"Hello, Aiko." Hayashi smiled. "How have you been feeling these past few days? I see your bruises are… covered?"

"Yeah, lipstick under the foundation and whatnot." I shrugged. "When's the show?"

"End of the class' term," she replied as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm still working on the lyrics; Hitomi's been a great help with them!"

I glanced over my shoulder to Fukui, who didn't seem interested in making eye contact or moving her gaze from out the window. I twisted the cap off my bottle and took another swig of the lukewarm water as Natsume rolled over on her back.

"So what's up with that fucking youkai scum you love so much?"

I bristled, wondering what to say. I had to make a decision quick—and with my anger directed towards Yusuke it wasn't hard to exaggerate.

"Don't know, he's pissed me off so I couldn't care less what he does." Another long swig of my water and Natsume propped herself up on her elbow.

"What happened?"

"He's just so selfish," I groaned. "I don't care, whatever. I'm done."

"Yeah, that's a fucking lie," she snorted. "You threw the biggest fucking tantrum I've ever seen because he was going to die."

"Doesn't mean I can't be pissed off at him—the fuckin' idiot. I hope he runs off in hiding somewhere so I won't know whether he's taken out."

"They're all like that, you know. Selfish, power-hungry…"

"Men? Duh."

"No. Well, yeah… but no. Youkai."

… Wait a second.

"Haven't met too many to be honest." I shrugged. "But I wouldn't be surprised since all the ones I've met have only been causing me grief."

She stared at me for a moment, resting her chin in her hand as she looked up at me.

"What?"

She smiled excitedly. "I really want there to be hope for you."

I knew I said the right thing but… "Hope"?

I glanced down at her. "Huh?"

"I'm trying to make you see the light, girl," she said, reaching over and gripping my arm loosely. "I thought I wouldn't be able to after your bullshit in the limo but maybe there _is_ hope."

"The light?"

She smiled peacefully, the Valium taking over as she leaned her head on the fluffy duvet cover. "You'll see, girl. Give me a chance. I'll make sure to teach you the truth, show you the disgustingly _beautiful_ truth."

"Truth?" I asked as Hayashi climbed slowly on the bed.

"Akane, did you take too much Valium?" she asked, climbing over to the sprawled out girl. She took Natsume's head into her lap, brushing the strands of hair out of the brunette's face as she held her cheeks gently. "You never really doze off when you take Valium."

Natsume giggled. "Yeah, and I'm really excited." She glanced to me, a wide smile on her face. "I really want there to be hope for you. I knew you'd be perfect, you'd understand. You just needed guidance, someone to show you the reality."

"Reality of what?"

She closed her eyes slowly and her grip on my arm grew looser. "I knew it. You're capable of being one of us; I just need to guide you. Let me guide you, Aiko."

I stared down at her, thoroughly confused, as she giggled like a school girl.

Hayashi smoothed Natsume's hair down, combing it gently with her fingers. "I'll pack your bags for you, Akane. Do you want to take anything else back to Tohoku?"

I figured I wouldn't get anything out of Natsume yet, but at least I knew what I'd need to do from now on—play into her ideals. Reinforce whatever Natsume wanted.

"No… Well, maybe these covers." She turned to me. "You know, if that idiot had any fucking sense he'd flee to Makai _ASAP,_ but god knows he's probably dumb as hell."

I didn't bother correcting her and instead took another long gulp of water.

"After the first detective it all went to shit—the detectives now are fucking stupid," Natsume laughed and accompanied it a whistle. "What, with the second one being a complete basket case and this one being a juvenile delinquent, low-life youkai."

"There's another one?" I asked.

She nodded. "Sanada Kuroko… or something. I heard she was the only one who had a brain and didn't flip out on missions. What a shame."

"Is she still alive?"

Natsume shrugged. "I think so. Never heard anyone talk about her like she was dead."

"Any hair products or make-up?" Hayashi asked.

"No, I'm leaving some here for when I'm too lazy to bring some back when I visit."

Truth. "The light." Hope _for me_, like she mentioned before…

I side-glanced out the open door and down the hall, wondering if any "truth" was in her home.

After almost three quarters of the bottle and twenty minutes of idle chatter about their college experience so far, I had to pee. I twisted the cap back on the bottle, set it at the foot of the bed, and hiked my purse strap up on my shoulder to fit snug.

"I need to use the bathroom," I said, watching Hayashi smooth over Natsume's hair as they laughed about inside jokes from their Tohoku adventures.

"I'll start packing, Akane," Hayashi said as I walked out of the room.

"No, don't move," Natsume whined. "I'm comfortable."

I walked through the hallway quickly and realized I should have left my purse in the room. I just forgot to take it off. Too late, I wasn't going back when I felt like I was going to wet my pants. And with the brisk wind that carried with me to the bathroom, I heard the creaking of a door.

I glanced over my shoulder briefly, looking for someone in the hallway, but instead noticed her father's study's door cracked open. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Actually, thank god I took it with me.

I hurried to the bathroom with a new motive in mind.

I didn't want to do this but I should get authorization first. I didn't want them to hear me talking though… it was risky to talk in Natsume's home. I locked the door behind me and dug out the compact. He had to hurry and pick up because I had to go _so_ bad.

I pressed the little button under the mirror and the static flickered to life on the screen. It continued flickering and I started bouncing on my heels to distract my bladder. It didn't work. I couldn't hold it in any longer.

I quickly dropped to the toilet. Just as I was about to close the compact and call after I finished, the static disappeared and the Prince came on the screen.

If I hung up on him he could assume something was wrong and call back or worse: send someone in after me.

I quickly spoke in a whisper to cover the sound of two liquids hitting, thankful he could only see down to my shoulders. "Her father's study is unlocked and I think there could be something in there. They're on my side still; we're friends. Should I risk it now or wait?"

Kill me. Please don't hear me pissing. Please kill me. Someone please kill me.

If he heard, he didn't care. "If you feel you can pull this off, go for it. Proceed with caution." I nodded, reassuring myself in my abilities. But then I was slightly knocked down a peg when his voice sounded more irate, as if I bothered him about the job he hired me for. "I hope you have a cover up for if you get caught."

I nodded. "If I find anything important or something happens, I'll call back."

I slapped the compact shut and hung my head as I finally stopped. I was going to hang myself. I was going to do it. I was going to fucking hang myself because my boss, the Prince of Reikai, heard me pissing.

God _damn_ it.

After a heavy, embarrassed sigh, I shoved the compact in my purse and finished my hygiene routine. Should I do it now? Wait for another time while I was here? I was already "in the bathroom", might as well take a quick peek now. If I were to get caught, what would my excuse be?

I leaned against the counter. I had to be careful. She obviously wouldn't think I was with _Reikai_ in this. It would be of my accord. But that would still put spotlight on me and I couldn't afford any suspicion.

I had no excuse. So I couldn't get caught.

I inhaled sharply. I could do this but it had to be quick. Just a sweep through: check for books or files. Check to see if any "truth" was in her home.

Let's do this.

I ripped a piece of toilet paper from the roll. Heart beating in my throat, I stepped out of the bathroom and looked around the hallway. Nobody. The girls voices carried through the hall from Natsume's room.

One minute at _most_. No more.

I looked down the hallway again and then back in Natsume's room before pressing the study's door lightly, quietly. It squeaked slightly and I slipped in once I opened it enough. I looked around the empty room.

The thin blue curtains on the window cast a dim colored light throughout the study. The wood floor wasn't as clean as the entire house; there wasn't a shine on the floor like the rest of the place. I quickly stepped to the wood desk placed in the middle of the room with two large bookshelves on either wall next to it.

As I stepped closer to the desk, where it was situated in front of the window, I noticed it was relatively empty. Nothing but a pencil holder and a lamp. I looked to the bookshelves to find atlases and geography, history, and economic books.

Then I noticed the thing layer of dust on the shelves.

How long had they gone without a housekeeper before hiring Satsuki? Surely not long. None of them would dare lift a finger to clean.

So nobody was allowed in here.

I picked a drawer at the desk and pulled out the piece of toilet paper. Using it like a glove, I gently tugged on the handle. It didn't budge. I tried the next, and the next, and the next, and…

None of them budged.

Could something be in there? Obviously it had to be _something._ Right? He locked it. Nobody's allowed in here…

I shoved the toilet paper in my purse as I heard footsteps. My heart practically flew out my mouth with how fast it lept into my throat.

I moved quickly, quietly, to the door, and stood in the corner of the room behind it. I tried controlling my breathing with how fast my lungs were working, how fast hormones were flowing throughout my bloodstream. I couldn't hear anything other than footsteps and blood roaring in my ears. No... I couldn't tell the footsteps from my heartbeat.

When I thought they stopped in front of the door, I swallowed a lump in my throat, hoping they wouldn't come inside.

The door moved slightly and someone slowly traveled inside. I inched closer to the door, hiding behind it as it opened. They could hear my heartbeat, they could hear my breathing—no matter how quietly I tried to keep my breath—they could hear me. Don't breathe. They could hear me. Don't breathe.

The door stopped short after just a few more inches. I swallowed another lump in my throat as quietly as possible, hoping they wouldn't come out from behind the door. Don't breathe...

…

…

…

The door began closing and stopped just seconds later. It didn't shut.

The breath I'd been holding came out heavy, shaky, and I waited until I could hear something other than my heartbeat. Finally, the roaring in my ears lessened and a soft ringing appeared in its place. My heartbeat was still erratic but at least I could hear my surroundings. I rounded the door and peeked out the opening, making sure the hallway was empty.

Coast was clear.

I slipped out the room and closed the door back to where it was before I entered, and began my way back to Natsume's room.

I didn't need someone to just watch over them in Tohoku, I needed someone else on the _inside_.

"Damn, you look like you saw a ghost, girl," Natsume snickered as I realized I entered the room. "The foundation works wonders on your face but the color in your neck's gone." She started laughing and pointed to my face and then neck. "Summer, winter!"

Could it have been one of them that saw me?

Fukui had moved from her seat on the bed and was now at the vanity, pulling her long hair into a tight bun. The other two didn't seem to have moved, but that didn't mean they hadn't…

"That's what happens when you only have an aspirin for breakfast…" I gave a sad chuckle.

"I wish I had your devotion," Natsume sighed and a knot twisted in my stomach. "I really want to lose one and a half kilograms." ******

"If you feel sick then you should go home," Fukui said simply, wrapping the hair tie around her bun.

They wouldn't let me go home if they caught me, would they?

"Eh, I don't really want to go home, to be honest…" Last thing I wanted to do was go home to _that_.

I eyed the three, and none of them seemed like they were ready to corner me like they did the last time.

"Well we're leaving soon so you can ride with us and we'll drop you off wherever you want." Natsume picked her head up from Hayashi's lap with a small groan and rolled to the edge of the bed. She sat upright for a moment, swaying slightly as the blood rushed around in her head, and then collected herself. "I'll go get Sosuke."

I forgot about the live-ins… There was only two, but the housekeeper and driver could have caught me too.

"Actually, it's fine. I was planning on going to my friend's house later today anyway," I said.

"Your boyfriend's?" Natsume grinned slyly. "I'll have you changing your mind about him too—I don't give a fuck what his papers say. 'Reiki' my ass."

I wasn't going to entertain her about Kurama. I couldn't formulate a good play to put on—I could only focus on who could have been in the room…

"No, you remember Kitajima, right?" I asked.

Natsume stared at me blankly. "Who?"

"The girl from the house party last year!" Hayashi smiled. "I remember her."

"Yeah, maybe I'll surprise her with a movie this afternoon," I said. "I've meant to catch up with her sometime and since you guys need to pack and leave, I should head over."

"God, if you go now then I'll have to hear them rehearsing," Natsume groaned.

Well, I was sure it wasn't Natsume who saw the door open; she wouldn't be this chummy with me. Hayashi? Fukui? One of the live-ins?

"I'll just walk," I reassured her. "Maybe some fresh air will make me feel better. I feel a bit nauseous."

"We should finish packing, Akane," Hayashi said again as she crawled over to the suitcases at the other end of the bed. "We do need to get back to Tohoku."

She was calm about it too… But Hayashi was always the level-headed one.

"When's the next time you guys will be in town?" I asked, picking up my water bottle from the foot of the bed.

"I'm not sure," Hayashi said.

"Just call us up and we'll bring the party cavalry, girl!" Natsume fist pumped the air as she lay back down on the bed.

"Yeah, definitely." I waved to them as I left the room and headed down the hallway. "God knows I need to party this year."

I descended the stairs slowly, wondering if I'd pass by the housekeeper. Thankfully, as I entered the foyer, she and Sosuke, who was dressed in his suit, greeted me at the doorway.

"Have a nice day, Miss Hojo," Satsuki said as she walked past me to the door. She nodded her head, and I returned the gesture.

"I would offer you a ride home, Miss Aiko," Sosuke said as he headed up the stairs. "But Miss Akane and her friends are leaving soon."

"It's fine," I said to him as I continued to the door. "I appreciate the thought, though."

Satsuki opened the heavy wood door and ushered me out. I smiled up at her, wondering if I could find any trace of strange emotions on her face as I passed by. Her smile seemed genuine; there were little crows feet around her eyes.

It wasn't Satsuki or Natsume. Her parents and brother weren't home, thank god. That left Sosuke, Hayashi, or Fukui. Sosuke seemed polite, maybe it wasn't him.

Hayashi or Fukui.

Either way, I had to talk to the Prince as soon as possible. The possibility I fucked up meant he had to keep on his toes.

God damn it, god damn it, god _damn_ it…

I didn't want to tell him I was almost caught. I wasn't… technically. But it was far too close a call to tell. First I piss with him on the compact and then I fuck up...

I obsessed over the issue and who it could have been to such an extent that by the time I worked up the courage to call I had already made it to Kitajima's house and rang the doorbell. I should have called on my way here but I was so caught up in figuring who it could have been...

Yeah, Aiko, keep fucking up. Good job. You're in for a promotion. New position? Head Jackass in the _Fucking Idiot department_.

I could just use the bathroom. Kitajima wouldn't be nosy; there was no risk in calling here like there was at Natsume's. God, someone probably heard me in Natsume's bathroom. Who was behind the fucking door?!

I still had to find a way to tell him that didn't really put me at fault... It kind of was my fault? But wasn't? I was just scared. I didn't want to admit I may have really, really fucked up…

The door opened and Kitajima was, thankfully, behind it. Hair tied up in a messy bun, she was still in her pajamas. She looked like she hadn't left the house in a few days.

"Any plans today?" I forced a grin.

She blinked and looked down at the floor for a second before looking back up at me. "No."

I pushed my way inside. "Good, pick a movie. It's your turn. I need to piss."

She was taken back as I stepped inside and began taking off my boots. "…Okay. I'll fix us a snack."

"Okay."

I hurried my way into the second floor bathroom and locked the door as I began pulling the compact out. I set it on the counter and began pacing, knowing he was only going to see my hips as I walked by when he finally picked up.

I continued pacing, not paying attention to the screen.

"I'm hoping you have some good news," he said, even more irritated than before. "Since you're calling back."

I paused and leaned forward, putting my face in his view. I found him stamping paperwork furiously without paying much attention to whatever he was blindly stamping and then shoving aside.

"Two things. Not exactly good?"

"Don't speak with conviction now," he sighed tiredly.

"One, I'm going to need more than one person helping me," I whispered. "I need someone on the inside of Border Patrol."

"That's easier said than done," he grumbled. "But I'll see if I can find anyone from Barrier Regulations we can trust… that's very, very unlikely, though…"

"And… well, I wasn't exactly caught but… I might have been?" I squeaked at the end, wincing at his potential reaction.

He bristled, furrowed his eyebrows, and immediately stopped working. "You were or you weren't! Explain."

I gulped. "They didn't see me but they saw the door was left open wider... maybe? They came in but I hid. Nobody saw me but…"

"Nobody saw you?" he clarified. "Positive?"

I nodded. "I was hiding behind the door when they opened it."

He relaxed but didn't return to stamping. "Then don't worry, if you're confronted you can lie about it. They can't say it was you if they didn't see you."

"Are you sure?"

"Have you ever doubted a lie you told?" he asked, but it was more rhetorical than anything.

I inhaled; confident I could cover it up because he was right. If they didn't see me, then how could they prove it... _right?_

"Not this one."

"Right, then I'll get on looking for an insider," he said. I nodded, and he continued. "I don't recommend calling me often, unless for requesting permission or reporting info."

My hand found its way to my face. "I know; I'm sorry. I just wanted to get permission first and let you know."

"Don't be sorry," he replied. "We knew it'd be easier with an insider, but we also knew you'd be on your own for most of this. I'll see what I can do, though."

I nodded again. "That's all I have to report then. I'm on their side again and I'm sure I can get stuff out of them if I keep playing along..." I paused, careful with my diction. "So yeah, an insider would be nice... if possible."

"No promises," he replied, and the screen flickered out.

An insider on Border Patrol who would be willing to double cross them? Yeah fuckin' right. We both knew it wasn't going to happen, but I had to let him know it would be a hell of a lot easier with someone on the inside and he should be at least _trying_ to look.

I heaved another heavy sigh, put the compact in my purse, and left the bathroom to find Kitajima standing across from me in the hallway. She held a plate of sliced apples in one hand and the other was placed on her hip, fitting snug against her grey sweatpants.

I looked around the hallway before speaking. "Hey…"

"So did you get the witch clique to give you a cellphone?" She cocked her head to the side.

Fuck.

"Probably not." She cocked her head to the other side, completely unamused. "You know… I didn't ask about that strange phone call during winter break. But I overheard some things in there."

I stared her down, hesitant. "What did you hear?"

"Have you ever doubted a lie you told?" she repeated.

I sniffed, looking down the hall. I guessed we were home alone.

"What are you getting into, Aiko?" she asked with force, stepping towards me.

"Nothing," I replied. "It's a new phone I got from the witch clique, that's all. Fukui's dad got hold of this new idea for a phone and—"

"I respected when you lied to me about certain things," she said. "Like the train and the news. I respect that—"

"Shut up," I growled.

I felt my nails digging into my palms as my hands balled into fists. My knuckles turned white as shame and embarrassment quickly overtook me. Why did she know? _How_ did she know? _Who the fuck else knew?!_

"I respected those lies you told me because you were protecting yourself!" she snapped and I breathed a heavy, angry inhale. "But you are not protecting yourself with whatever you're getting into lately, Aiko."

Yeah. I was trying to protect everyone else.

"Just drop it," I snapped back. "Leave it alone; it's nothing."

"How much trouble are you in?" she pressed. "Don't lie to me, either. I can see the cut on your lip."

"None yet," I replied, knowing if I left out the "yet" she would have kept pushing. "Leave it alone. If I wanted to get you mixed up in all of this, I would have done it already."

"Then when will you tell me?" she asked. "When will you _trust_ me?"

"Kitajima—"

"I keep telling you to call me 'Maya'!"

"_Maya_!" I raised my voice. "I'll tell you when I need to!"

"Which will be never," she spat as the little plate of apples she held split in two.

I caught the glimpse of something sharp and blue shoot through the middle of the plate. She recoiled in shock, dropping the halves and letting them fall to the wood floor with the little slices of fruit, shattering completely.

"Maya…" I gasped as she quickly knelt to pick up the ceramic. "Maya!"

She snapped at me. "Leave me alone! Go home!"

"Maya, what was that…?" I knew what it was… I knew that feeling, the uncertainty.

"Please," she sniffed, her breath shaky. "Please go home…"

I stared down at her as she picked up the apple slices and broken pieces.

"What was that?" I asked again.

"I don't know!" she yelled, staring down at the little ceramic pieces that were left. "It's been like this for a while now and I don't know…"

"Like what—" I knelt next to her. "What's wrong?"

She kept her head hung, but I could see the tears fall to the wood floor below.

"Things keep breaking around me and just until recently—" she stopped and looked up at me. "Go away! What do you care? Even if I reminded you of just how much you _owe me big time _you'd just lie to my face."

I paused; her words tore through old scars and created fresh wounds. I knew she was right…

"Maya, I—"

"Get out! You won't help me anyway."

Her dark eyes were angry, filled with mixture of betrayal and confusion as she glared at me. I tried holding a straight face in response, to not shrink under her gaze, but the heaviness that weighed on my shoulders was a lot to bear…

So with forbearance, I found myself listening to her. I left her home, shutting the front door behind me quietly.

* * *

**A/N: **

*** **50 kilometers is equivalent to 31 miles.

**** **1.5 kg is equivalent to roughly 3 lbs.

Thanks to _UsagiTsukin0, DIA MN D S, Pelawen Night, OohTaylorJade, YuYuHakushoObsesser, _and Brooke and two other guests for their reviews! Thanks to everyone who's followed and faved too! All your feedback always makes me feel so much better about the chapters I put out. Love ya. Muah.

(Also, I... _think_ I did pretty okay with Yusuke's POV. What do you guys think?)


	11. Adieu

**_PART VI. "Adieu."_**

* * *

_"Been a fool, been a clown, lost my way from up and down …  
And I see in your eyes that you really weren't surprised at me at all. Not at all …  
Don't care for me, don't cry. Let's say 'goodbye.' Adieu."_

— _Bindinger-Richy _

* * *

**Aiko.**

I'd always been a horrible friend.

I always tried to distance myself from her. Even though we've been friends since junior high and I spent plenty of time with her—and God, it was great to spend time with her because she was so nice—I always tried to distance myself from her the best way I could. And the _only_ way I could, without putting physical distance between us and ultimately ruining our friendship, was to call her by her surname.

Because she knew. _Somehow_ she knew. And it always sickened me, embarrassed me… positively mortified me. How did she know? If she knew… then who else did?

So I always sold our friendship short. I was a horrible friend for that and I was a horrible friend for this too.

I was avoiding finding her help, avoiding telling her about what was probably going on with her because she was _Maya_. The girl who thought every big crime on the news was secretly a government conspiracy, who spent her nights reading sci-fi and supernatural comic books, who bought those asinine "My Wife was Impregnated By Aliens!" tabloids and actually entertained the thought.

All because she wanted the adventure, she wanted something more out of this life than the monotonous human routine. She wanted excitement, to see the world out of rose-tinted glasses, to live on the edge of life and death every second because she was so interested in what _could _be. She wanted to _live_.

And I was afraid if I helped her control her reiki or found someone to do it… she would give up everything, she'd run head first into the life I stumbled into. She would go out in search for danger, excitement, adventure, because once she understood what was happening she would be elated.

But who was I to…

A flock of blackbirds flapped their wings in unison, flying off the fence of the roof. I stared after them as their silhouettes shrunk into the large, red, setting sun.

I'd been sitting on Meiou's roof since after sixth hour art class, smoking my Cupids.

I looked down at the plum compact in my other hand, rubbing my thumb over it as if it held the answer to my predicament with Maya. I drew another long inhale from my cigarette and rested my wrist on my knee.

They would lock the door up here in about fifteen minutes, I remembered. …I was too lazy to get up. I didn't want to go home.

My exhale snaked out my nostrils, the skin inside stinging slightly as I remembered I wasn't as avid about smoking as I used to be. That was good…

One last drag and I flicked the butt to my shoes. I made a point to grind it into the cement as I stood up.

Shoving the compact in my blazer pocket with one hand, I reached for the roof entrance's doorknob with the other. I stopped once I heard an unfamiliar voice on the other end. It was an adult's, not that of a teenager, and it was easier to place voices among the adults here since there were much fewer than students.

But mainly, I knew it was unfamiliar with the way the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end. The youki was faint but definitely there. Tangible in the air, thick.

I looked through the rectangular window that lead into the staircase and found Kurama sitting against the wall among a mess of extra chairs and desks on the flatland that shielded him from full view. I craned my neck for a better angle of the wall opposite him and found what seemed to be a hologram.

From that message ball.

I was more preoccupied with looking at the youkai in the message—he had to be Yomi. He would have almost passed for human if not for the horns protruding from his head and the multiple pairs of ears. Then again I was only granted an image from the shoulders up.

I moved from the window and leaned against the door, pressing my ear against it to eavesdrop.

"But I am now more powerful than even you," Yomi said, his voice carrying faintly through the metal. "How much more? I would say… enough to control all of Makai."

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat and fought the knot that was tying in my stomach. Why couldn't we just be left alone?

I didn't have room to talk; I just signed my life away. But at least… but at least I would be here, not in Makai.

Not in an entirely different _realm_.

I knew when I signed that dotted line I would be taking time away from my normal life. But I did it… and now both of them…

"My ultimate goal is to surpass them both and unite the land under one rule," Yomi continued on. I picked up somewhere in his speech. "Lend me your abilities, Kurama. This time I need your help. I have faith you'll come."

But I signed it for him. For Yusuke. For everyone affected by Border Patrol's power. I wouldn't have had the courage to sign that line if I didn't think I could do something for them. Financial security was an incentive, insurance for my family.

I worked up the courage to sign that makeshift contract to repay him and Yusuke.

And they were both leaving.

"Oh, by the way." Yomi's voice turned from simple and serious to more of an airy, light tone, one tainted with taunting. "A couple hundred years ago I found the assassin who took the light from my life." A gasp of air lodged in my throat. _Assassin. _I could only imagine what Kurama thought—how he felt. "I wanted to show him to you so I've kept him alive in captivity. Come see, we'll have a good laugh."

The tight knot twisted in my stomach as the youki dispersed in the air and faded away. I reached for the door as I heard a harsh clap of fabric. I glanced to my left and there stood that shrimp-dick piece of shit midget with a shitty attitude.

He stood at the other end of the door, black cloak flapping in the wind, hands in his pockets.

I wondered why he'd be here. Maybe he was being called too. He, Yusuke, and Kurama were leaving. I swear to _god _if I found Kazuma was leaving too I was going to _flip_.

"I'll wait out here for whenever you're done," I mumbled, stepping away from the door.

"I don't give a shit what you do, girl," he said simply as he walked towards the door. "If you want to cry on your lover's shoulder at least be quiet about it while I'm in the room."

He opened the heavy door and I moved out of the way as it swung open. He stood in the door way for a moment, waiting for Kurama to say something. He didn't for some reason.

"Old acquaintance?" Shrimp-dick asked suddenly.

I stood behind him, able to see Kurama clearly jump slightly in surprise—something I never thought possible.

"Yes," he replied with a small smile as he realized it was us.

Shrimp-dick chuckled as he descended the stairs. "This is rare. It's not like you to be so absorbed in something that you don't even feel me nearby."

Kurama's eyes flickered to me briefly before settling back on Shrimp-dick.

"I'm being recruited too," he continued, pulling out a similar message ball. "But it's by Mukuro."

I descended the stairs, stopping a few steps before flatland to lean against the wall and watch his message. With the throw from a swift arm, his ball crashed into the wall. I watched as youki poured out and began swirling in the air slightly until it manifested into a similar hologram of Yomi's.

This youkai covered themselves in talismans and old bandages, leaving nothing but a large, creepy glass-like eye to be seen. The bandages and purple vest stopped at their torso where the image ended.

"Hello, Hiei. My name is Mukuro." The message started. "I'm hiding my face as a safety measure. Not because I'd be in danger or anything, but because it'd be harder to travel freely if people knew what I looked like."

I didn't pay much attention to his message. I didn't care, really. I was more upset over our predicament. Kurama wanted to stay here, obviously. If he didn't, he would have returned to Makai after the tournament.

But now he was _forced_ to go back.

I glanced to the red head who sat in silence, watching Shrimp-dick's personal message.

What if he didn't want to come back once he remembered his home?

His home…

"The second Raizen croaks, Yomi and I are going to war," Mukuro said, striking my interest. "The way he spews his happy horseshit about 'uniting Makai' makes me hate him even more than Raizen."

Couldn't you guys just kill each other and leave Kurama and Yusuke out of it? Why did Yusuke and Kurama have to go? Why couldn't we all stay here? Take Shrimp-dick, I literally could not care less about him. Please just call _him_ back to Makai. I volunteer him as tribute.

"Makai will be back to normal soon, to the way it was before even you were born," Mukuro said as the hologram began fizzing out. "If you want to live to see what that looks like, come to my side."

The youki dispersed and the hologram disappeared completely.

"That guy doesn't shut up, does he?" Shrimp snorted. "They're only recruiting us because they watched our fight with Sensui. They're probably scouring the entirety of Makai for youkai strong enough to help them."

Kurama remained quiet, debating on his own dilemma.

"I'm going to see Mukuro," he said, which drew Kurama's gaze to him. "Relax, I'm not joining him. But the nonstop fighting will be a quick way to raise my power level."

I rolled my eyes. Now this was a video game.

A wild SHRIMP-DICK appeared! Level five. PLAYER sends out…

"If I'm around Mukuro, I bet I'll be able to fight as much as I want," he said, and Kurama stayed silent.

I should go home. I didn't want to be around Kurama when he decided he was going back to Makai. I'd probably spit in his face.

I descended the rest of the stairs and walked past the two.

I knew I wasn't fair to Kurama since he had no choice, but he probably should have thought a bit harder way back when. I paused as I stepped on the next set of stairs. _Way back when_ he a ruthless, murderous thief lord.

My hand lay gently on the railing. I waited for some sort of "sense" to come to me but none did. I thought the sentence again. And again. And again. And…

And I felt nothing over the sentence. I continued down the stairs.

I guess the thought didn't bother me much since I knew he wasn't like that anymore…

What bothered me was how I barely started and already lost.

Fucking hell.

My walking became even more brisk as I stomped down the stairs and through the hallways to the shoe lockers. I controlled my breathing as the knot in my stomach tied tighter, but all my anger traveled to my hands as I yanked off my shoes and changed pairs.

Soft footsteps sounded briefly and then stopped next to me. I didn't want to look at him.

The probability of spitting in his face was _so_ high right now… Honestly, if I turned around he would get a snot-filled wad right between the eyes.

"I know we _should_ have a civil conversation," I spat through gritted teeth, finding heated venom in my words as I slammed my locker shut. "But it's _not_ going to happen. You should wait until I calm down."

When I turned to leave, he spoke. "I don't mind. Not this time."

"Are you sure?" I scoffed in disbelief. "Because I'm probably going to spit in your face."

I could hear the wry smile in his voice. "I'm sure."

Tongue in cheek, I continued out to the front gate. I had to lay my tongue where it belonged quickly because I was seconds from biting through it.

He followed behind me quietly and the minute we stepped off campus I turned on him, refraining from spitting. I instead let the anger flow out through my vocal cords.

"I signed my life away!" I snapped. "I signed my life away. And I barely started the battle and I _lost_!"

He approached me calmly, hands palm-up to provoke peace. All it did was piss me off more.

"Will you tell me what you signed?" he tried, staying rational.

I quickly looked around before stepping up to him, propping on the balls of my feet to hiss in his face. I caught myself again before spitting.

"A contract with Koenma to get intel from Natsume and Border Patrol." I kept my voice low. "Chapter Black is _defamation _and they have no problem letting youkai come through to participate in the Dark Tournament when they damn well know some youkai that come through _won't_ be going back."

He stared down at me, trying to figure why I would get myself into this—why I would accept.

"Did he bribe you?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"No," I said, rocking back on flat feet. "He… offered me an incentive. Financial security for my family."

He leaned in slightly, voice a pitch below harsh. "Tell me what the possibility of me leaving has to do with this."

"Because the incentive was just that—an _incentive_. I signed for you. For Yusuke. For everyone who's being affected by Border Patrol's obvious corruption," I spat. "And _no_, I never would have expected you to ask me to do this and you never would have. But I did it. Because I'm tired of watching Border Patrol scheme and try to take away people who do nothing wrong."

He stared down at me as I felt my face flushing, my eyes stinging.

"I'm tired of worrying about the people I care for being taken away—I'm tired of worrying _you'll_ be taken away…"

He heaved a sigh and I felt my face getting wetter by the second. I took his hands that still lay outstretched in front of me. Holding his in mine, I looked down at his palms.

Those weren't the hands the famed thief used but they were his nonetheless. And that's why he would be taken from me.

"I've just started and I've already lost." I sniffed, watching black tears drip to his palms. "And it wasn't even to Reikai."

He decided to stay quiet, to let me speak until I was thoroughly tired out and couldn't care enough to argue.

"And now you're going _home_." I pursed my lips to keep them from splitting into a scowl. "I already lost half the battle. You're going home and you'll remember why you stayed there for so long and you won't come back."

He sighed and his shoulders slumped forward.

"You can have more than one home, you know," he said calmly, stepping on eggshells. "A house isn't a home. A realm isn't a home."

"Shut up." I sniffed forcefully and wrapped my fingers around his palms, holding them tight. "You're going _home_ and I'm going to sit here looking even stupider than Kazuma and Keiko."

He coughed politely and let his thumb rub gently against my fingers. "I wouldn't compare… _this_ to either of them."

"Why not? We're all sitting here looking dumb as shit!" I cried. "Keiko sat there and waited for Yusuke through multiple trials. I know it! She waited for him to come back to life, she waited for him whenever he went off to the old lady's, she waited for him to come out the tournament alive, she waited for him to come back from Sensui, and now she's going to have to wait for him to come back from this!"

"I do have a reason to stay here," he replied, and I squeezed his hands tighter as I felt my face heating, my head pounding. "I have multiple reasons to stay here."

"Then stay! If those reasons are important, wouldn't you fight to stay?"

I hated myself for saying that. I didn't want to be _that_ person. I didn't want to be the crying, clinging girl. But I was. Because I already lost. I just fucking started and I already lost…

I wanted it so we could all be together, safe, and left alone. Everyone. All of us.

A motorcycle's engine echoed from down the street, breaking the heavy silence around us and reminding us we were in public. Alone, with nobody else within earshot or sight, but in public nonetheless.

"They're important," he replied simply. "That's why I have to leave."

"Kazuma, Keiko, and I…" I hiccuped, sniffing a stray dribble of mucus back into my nose. "We don't have time like you all do."

With the brush of a soft breeze blowing by, he stopped walking on eggshells. The calm face that tried provoking peace with a subtle smile dropped into an expression I couldn't place even if I tried.

The fact he didn't reply meant I was right and there was no use telling me I was wrong.

"We're human!" I continued. "We're human and you all aren't! Yukina's going to live for thousands of years, Yusuke's got youkai blood in him that's working now so he'll live so much longer, and you'll be able to find some sort of technicality to leave that body and live on—for another thousands and thousands of years."

"The reason I will leave is not because the reasons I have to stay are any less important," he tried explaining to me: the irrational, pissed off child. "I can't afford having Yomi and his subordinates here, watching over you or my family."

"I know." I sniffed, retrieving my hands to wipe my face dry and smearing makeup around as tears only continued to pour out. "I know, but shit. Shit, shit, shit. Shit…"

I shoved my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing.

"I can make plenty of arrangements with Koenma to travel back and forth," he said.

"And what if you get there, remember why you decided to live there for thousands of years, and don't come back?!" I cried, hands flying from my face. "We're stupid! We'll sit there and sit there. We'll fucking rot in the ground waiting for you all to come home."

The words hit me harder when I finally said them aloud and their weight settled on both our shoulders. He stared me down, face still unreadable.

Finally, after moments of silence that felt like years, I found lighter words, ones that held embarrassment and fear of a subtler degree. "I need to go home."

With a small gesture, one I knew so familiar that provoked peace, he let his hands hover over my arms.

I shook my head. "I'll ruin your jacket."

He stepped closer and I let his hands gently cup my face to wipe the ruined makeup off best as possible. I held his wrists as his thumbs wiped away the mascara tainted tears off my cheeks.

"I wear an ass load of make-up; you'll be doing this for hours," I mumbled and found myself holding his wrists even tighter as I realized what I implied. "But… you can keep trying."

A small breath from his lips, a laugh, and I rushed to him, closing the little distance between us. I locked my arms around him like a child would their favorite stuffed animal, and he was cautious in letting his hands find a place to rest.

One rested on the back of my neck as I held him tight, the other holding me close at the small of my back. His touch was soft, gentle, and I knew there would come a day I'd miss the soft tangling of his fingers in my hair even though that was the first time it happened.

The subtle movement of his fingers, gently massaging, comforting… I held him tighter, feeling the plethora of emotions swelling in my chest, my throat. His fingers in my hair, breath traveling through the strands and kissing my skin… I didn't want him to leave. I would miss him. I would miss this.

I already missed it…

I missed it when I went home, when I showered. It deepened when Yusuke called to tell me what he decided. I missed it when I went to sleep, when I woke up, and when I saw him at school the next day.

I missed it while we ate lunch in silence together. I missed it when I went home. I missed it when I locked myself in my room and crawled in bed in the late afternoon.

Minoru's TV show could be heard from the living room as I lay on the bottom bunk, reading another Shakespeare classic. I didn't particularly like Shakespeare—wasn't my cup of tea—especially not with this stupid romance shit I was not feeling in the slightest. But I had to hand it to the guy because I could have sworn the book was full of dick jokes.

I rolled over under the blankets, putting effort into making myself comfortable as I shifted the blankets around with me. The doorbell rang but I didn't bother getting out of bed.

If I wanted to see Yusuke off tonight then I had to stay in until it was time. Besides I already changed into my pajamas… I glared past the book and at the wall, anger swelling up in me again at the reality of my predicament.

I sniffed and returned to the work, finding it more than boring. A quick knock on my door drew my eyes from the book and my father's voice carried through the woodwork.

"You have a friend here."

I sat up and looked at the door.

"Who?" I called.

"Come find out your damn self," my dad grumbled loud enough to let his passive aggression creep into my room. "What the fuck am I? Your butler?"

I rolled my eyes and bookmarked my page with a crease in the corner before getting up from bed. I didn't know who to expect to begin with, but the unfamiliar face on the other side of my bedroom door forced my senses on end.

I tensed at the sight of an older girl with long, dyed blonde hair and pretty amber eyes. She was dark skinned, much darker than any natives of the main island I'd ever seen, with the shade of mahogany wood.

Hands to her side, she had a particular street fashion: high-waist, ripped jeans; tucked-in plain blue t-shirt; and a scruffy, denim vest. All accompanied with what looked like a mullet.

I'd never seen this girl a day in my life.

"Hey," I said warily, looking down the hall to see my parents.

They were both in the living room signing to each other about unrelated issues. I stared the girl down, confused.

Could Natsume have sent her? Did they find out I was snooping?

Why would she send her here if she wanted to off me? Well, actually… I knew if this girl was offering to lead me anywhere then it probably would be on Natsume's orders. Lure me away so she could take a broken pipe to the back of my head once I stepped outside.

"Come on in," I said with a smile, pulling the door open further.

She wouldn't dare lay hands on me in my own apartment no matter who she was affiliated with. Not without drawing major attention.

I took a good look at her as she walked in. She was tall, androgynous, but had that hint of femininity that let anyone immediately address her as female. She had a strong jawline and perfectly sloped nose that complimented her face.

I closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Who are you?" I asked in a whisper.

Her body language was different from her appearance, it was reserved and subordinate in contrast to her street punk fashion. She stood straight with her hands clasped together in front of her and then bowed deeply at the waist.

"My name is Suzume," she said, and then lifted herself upright.

She dug in her jean pocket and I flinched, pushing myself further against the door as she pulled out a silver circle. I eyed the potential weapon with intensity, racking my brain for what it could be.

She turned it over, revealing a gold-orange top, resembling the colors of a sunset. It was just like my compact. I pushed myself off the door in relief.

"And I was sent to help the cause," she whispered.

I walked to her, stepping slowly despite being eager to see the compact. I looked up to the hundred and seventy-five centimeter girl before looking down at the compact. *****

"Prince Koenma recruited me as a scout," she continued in a whisper. "I did not hesitate to agree once he told me of Barrier Regulation's antics. Ever since I could remember, they were selective, lenient. I am eager to work under your direction."

I stared at the girl and let a wave of contentment wash over me. I may have lost some of my reasons for starting this but others hadn't. Anyone who wanted to join this had their reasons… and even I still had my own.

I grinned to her and my hands found their way to my hips. "The first scout… Tell me, Suzume, what's your connection to Reikai?"

"I am a Guide," she replied.

"Now promoted to Messenger?"

She shook her head. "I… pulled some strings with the owner of the body. She resided down in Amami Oshima."

"So… what happened to the soul?"

"It's stored safely per our agreement," she said and I sighed in relief.

I nodded. "Can't have a body reserved for Messengers suddenly get assigned to a Guide, I guess. Any restrictions with you or this body I need to know about?"

"I still need to bring souls in," she replied. "There will be times I will be reaping but I am confident I can manage this."

I nodded. "Alright… then… I'm going to need to see your soul."

She nodded and sat at the chair at my desk. With a small, deep breath, her body went limp and fell back against the chair.

Like being released from a shell, a newborn bird from its egg, the soul emerged. A pristine grey kimono caught my eyes first, and then the familiar painted white face and the kushi and kogai set in pretty, black hair. She emerged from the body with ease, floating gracefully in front of me as I gaped at her in shock, and then bowed her head.

"You are never allowed to leave this body in their presence, or even in Tohoku," I gasped, finding the strength to speak through the shock. "They've seen you before."

She nodded and then lowered herself back into the body, and the tall beauty opened her eyes. When she sat up proper again, I knew exactly how to play this.

I licked my lips and smiled down to her. "Let's get this game started. I have the perfect way to start you off."

I figured I could get out of here if I told the truth. With a small sigh, I opened the drawer of my desk and pulled out a thick envelope. I didn't want to dip into this but…

Begrudgingly, I took out a few bills from my Kagami stash. Suzume watched out the window as I changed into jeans and a hoodie, and we left my room. I walked past my parents, who were in the kitchen, and watched my dad from the corner of my eye give me a nasty glare.

"You ever going to introduce us?" he asked sharply.

I looked to Suzume, wondering if she wanted a name incognito.

"My name is Yori," she replied calmly. "Ito, Yori."

My father's face remained unfazed. "Where do you two think you're going when you just got home?"

"Yusuke's leaving," I replied. "He's going away for a really long time and I wanted to say goodbye. I was going to ask if Minoru could say goodbye too since you know he adores Yusuke."

"_Where's he going_?" my mother asked, signing to me from the stove.

"_America_," I replied aloud as well for Suzume.

Pulled that one out my ass. Didn't even want to bring up Makai again around my dad. Didn't know if he ever told my mom either.

My dad snorted and waved me off. "If you're trying anything funny, just know to never come back. You won't be welcome."

"I'm not," I replied simply and headed for the door. "I'm taking Minoru with me—if I was going to get into something stupid he'd be the last person I'd bring along."

Slipping on knee-length boots, I called Minoru to come with us. He put on his shoes and a light jacket, and we were gone. I found the nearest payphone to call Shizuru. As the phone rang, I asked Suzume if she had any sort of identity in Ningenkai already.

"My name is Ito, Yori, and I have applied for a coffee shop near Tohoku University," she said.

"Good," I said with a nod. "Good. Natsume likes coffee. I'm sure you'll see them around."

Finally, the ringing stopped. "Hello?"

"It's Aiko," I said, bringing the receiver back. "Shizuru, I need a quick favor."

She paused. "What?"

"I have a friend who needs a haircut, are you available?"

"Yeah, if you hurry."

"Cool," I said, and then proceeded with a gracious thank you and hung up. I turned to Suzume. "If you're going to own that street punk look, you're going to have to talk like it too. And we're getting rid of that mullet because that's not punk, that's just a sin."

She looked at her faint reflection in the silver metal of the payphone box and nodded. Just twenty minutes later, we stepped foot in Shizuru's trendy chic salon, and I found her and another coworker to be the last ones here aside from the manicurist.

Shizuru wrapped the silk cape around Suzume's neck after washing her hair and Minoru roamed the relatively empty salon, picking up magazines to look at the girl's hairstyles.

"What's the name you go by?" Shizuru asked, clipping it together.

Suzume's eyes glanced to me through the mirror and I shrugged. Shizuru wasn't a threat but if Suzume didn't want to tell the truth, I wasn't going to stop her.

"Suzume," she replied with a whisper.

Shizuru glanced to me through the mirror then as well, and I let my gaze settle on the coworker who was sweeping up hair from under her chair.

"What are you looking for then?" she asked, taking strands of the mullet and pinching it up with her fingers.

Suzume glanced to me.

"Whatever she wants," I said.

Suzume stared at herself in the mirror and then sighed. "I'd like it very short."

"How short?"

"Just…" she paused and glanced around the room to look at the model pictures hung on the clear spaces of the walls. "Almost like hers."

Shizuru's eyes landed on one next to her station of a girl with a faux-hawk.

"You sure?"

Suzume nodded and Shizuru set to work.

"What about you, Aiko?" Shizuru asked as she neared finishing Suzume's hair. "Looking for a trim?"

I looked in the mirror in front of Suzume and Shizuru and eyed my hair. It was longer now. It used to lie between my shoulder blades but was now reaching the small of my back.

I could use a trim…

"Yeah, sure," I said, staring at the color. I exhaled, staring at the ombre. It didn't… feel right anymore for me. "A recolor, too."

She glanced to me as she continued snipping the blonde hair. She inspected the dye job briefly, checking in her memory if she had a similar color for when Suzume needed a touch up.

"Have you talked to Yusuke or Kazuma since everything happened?" she asked.

"Yusuke, yeah," I replied, sitting down in the chair at the station next to her. "Kazuma, no."

"I saw Yusuke at a coffee shop yesterday," she laughed. "Told him all about how Kazu's trying to get into Gai Tech."

"That's a really good school." I smiled. "I think he can get in. He has all year to study."

"The most reckless man in Japan lives in my house," she chuckled, snipping away. "With his record at Sarayashiki, you would think Gai Tech wouldn't even be an option."

"They can be accepted based solely on their entrance exam scores in Gai Tech, huh?" I grinned. "He'll do fine!"

She was about to say something, then stopped, and something else came out of her mouth. "You're a second year now, right?"

I nodded, figuring what she wanted to say. "I can always give Kazuma pointers on entrance exams. Meiou's standards were hell."

Shizuru unclipped the cape and flung it off Suzume, sending hair flying everywhere.

"I think he'll be glad to know you're not going anywhere," she said. "With everyone else leaving and all."

I stared down at the now empty black chair as Suzume inspected her new hair cut at another mirror. It fluffed up in the center, shortening at the sides.

I may be here with Kazuma, but I was caught up in stuff just like they were.

"Yeah." I cracked a smile as I sat in the chair. "It's always nice to know you're not alone."

* * *

**Kurama.**

"Are you out of your fuckin' mind?!" Kuwabara hollered, grabbing Yusuke by his shirt. "Did turning into youkai royalty power up your stupidity, too? You want to go to Makai because 'there are stronger opponents there'?! You sound like an ad from a video game, you dumbass!"

I sat on the wooden floor of Genkai's dojo as Hiei stood over me, watching Kuwabara yell about our decisions.

"And you!" He turned to the SDF, reeling on the light-blue haired member. "All this is to you is getting rid of a problem!"

"I'm not going to lie," the light-blue haired member said as I pondered when I heard his name before. I was positive I saw him and heard his name before. Ah. Shun-jun. He was one of the few who tracked me down in my youko form. "We've been given orders and we're merely trying to carry them out."

Kuwabara gritted his teeth, unable to tear apart someone who admitted their wrong-doings. He then turned to us.

"What about you two?" he snapped, turning to us. "Are you both going to Makai too?"

"Yeah, actually," Hiei answered.

"I'm fairly sure I'll end up going," I replied carefully. "If I do, it'll be later than Yusuke and Hiei."

Not one soldier batted an eye at my comment. I hoped they assumed I was merely a human caught up in the mess. If luck was on my side, they would.

Kuwabara, though, didn't like those answers. "I'm so… disappointed in you guys. You're all no different than Toguro or Sensui."

I kept my mouth shut, not bothering to let him know of my predicament. I didn't want to risk a secret investigation into Yomi's past and have them find me present.

I would be lying if I said the idea of becoming stronger wasn't appealing… but I knew I had all the time in the world to return to that lifestyle. Others in my life weren't fortunate enough to be blessed with near immortality. It was strange, though, as after everything—especially returning from Makai this time—the offer to go back was enticing.

In my youko form, fighting and breathing the air of Makai, it reminded me of my life before this. And a part of me wanted to return.

"Scratch that, you're worse!" he yelled. "You three don't care which side you're on so long as you get to keep fighting!"

"Huh," Hiei mused. "When'd you get so smart?"

Kuwabara practically bit off his tongue.

"You tell their asses, Kuwabara!" A familiar feminine voice chimed in.

Aiko strolled in, leaving a guest and her brother at the open doors as she marched to our group. She trailed a length of solid hair color with her, purposefully letting it flow dramatically behind her with her strong stride.

Her ombre was gone. Her natural brown was allowed to finally show itself.

"Fuck the SDF," she spat as she strode to Kuwabara's side. "Fuck Yusuke. Fuck those two sitting in the corner. It's you and me, man."

Kuwabara just liked the support and he turned his chin up to Yusuke with a huff.

"Better not talk shit about them, Aiko," Yusuke warned with a trace of sarcasm. "They protect your realm and all—meaning _you_ too."

She faltered back slightly, pretending to faint, and she laid a limp wrist on her forehead. "I forgot! They were there when I was fucking drowning in that territory. They were there to fight Sensui! _They _were there to search for and _close the tunnel_ _before it opened_." She steadied herself, walked to them… and hacked a spit wad from the back of her throat at Shun-jun.

Luckily, Yusuke intercepted in time to catch the mucus.

Shun-jun stared her down unfazed while the rest of the soldiers repressed ill-intentions.

"We were given orders is all," Shun-jun said again, but Aiko didn't care. "We're just carrying them out."

That actually set her off.

"_That's_ how you uphold peace and justice," she hissed, livid. "Do what you're told, no matter how wrong. _That's_ justice."

"Let's make this as civil as possible," Yusuke said, noticeably disgusted as he wiped his wet hand on his pants. "Is that why you came? To start a fight?"

"I came to say goodbye," she said pointedly, glaring at him.

"Because I would have liked a fight."

"All they'd have to do is flick a finger at me and the wind from it would tear me in half."

"True."

"Who invited this stray cat?" Genkai droned, stepping past Minoru and his babysitter at the temple entrance. "Someone either shut it up or throw it back in the alley it came from."

Aiko inhaled and glanced to Genkai, holding her tongue. She sent one last glance to Shun-jun and turned away from him. She gestured for Minoru to come inside and the boy quickly ran across the wood floor.

"Oi, Kuwabara," Yusuke called before wrapping his arm around his shoulder. He whispered. "Kick some ass and get into Gai Tech."

Kuwabara began chuckling. "How'd you know?"

Aiko heaved Minoru up into her arms with a heavy grunt and he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and legs around her torso. Her little brother rested his head in the nook of her neck and shoulder, and the two waited patiently to say goodbye.

Just minutes later we were headed out of the temple and into the woods. Aiko carried Minoru as far as she could into the woodlands with us before setting him to the ground and holding his hand the rest of the way. The clearing in the forest we reached was quiet, lit by the moonlight above.

A few SDF members formed a small line and used their ki to break the atmosphere. The smell of Makai began wafting through the cracking dimension—the smell of blood and rotting carcass. They decided to pick a recent battleground to send Yusuke to, of course. Not that he wouldn't be able to handle himself.

I stood next to Aiko, who glanced to me briefly, unwilling to look me in the eyes. She put her hand over her mouth when the stench hit her, and Minoru scrunched his face.

"Did you fart, Sis?" he whispered to her.

"No, that's your upper lip," she retorted quietly, to which he became horrified and began rubbing his mouth.

When the crack split open, creating a large hole with many colors, Minoru stopped rubbing and gawked at the portal.

"_This_ is how you get to America?" Minoru asked, looking at the colorful portal with wide eyes as Yusuke and his recruiters—resembling monks—stood in front of it.

"It's the secret way." Aiko nodded, clearing her throat to prevent her voice from breaking. "You can't tell _anyone_ you know about it or you'll never get to go. Not even mom and dad can know about it." Minoru nodded and Aiko let go of his hand. "I'm going to say goodbye first, okay? And then you can say goodbye."

"Okay."

Aiko headed to the small group and the recruiters gave the two teens space. Koenma decided to join Minoru and I, showing up behind me. Koenma promptly took Aiko's spot next to me.

"Acting up like that to the SDF," Koenma grumbled, supposedly having watched over us before coming to this realm. "She better have a good reason as to why."

I glanced to him, eager to let my words loose while staying cordial. "Sending off one of the closest friends she has isn't a good reason?"

Koenma side-glanced to me. "Like I told Yusuke, this is the easiest way to fix the problem with no risk to us. We can't do much in…" Koenma glanced down in confusion at Minoru, who was looking up at him with even wider eyes, glued to the suffix printed on his forehead.

"America," I finished for Koenma, and the Prince nodded quickly.

"Yes."

Minoru quickly spoke up. "My sister says people who tattoo their faces are stupid."

I bit back my laughter as Koenma's eye twitched. He strained to grin at the kid, biting his pacifier and becoming just as petulant. "Well, your sister is—"

"Brilliant," I cut him off to spare him from Minoru arguing in defense of his sister.

Koenma took a deep breath and watched his new employee embracing his previous.

"Regretting it?" I asked, tension flowing freely.

"Somewhat, but not why you would want me to," he replied instantly, unabashed. "It's only the beginning."

We watched the two in the distance, conversing quietly into each other's shoulders. She stepped away from him and wiped her eyes before grabbing his face and pulling it to hers. She kissed him forcefully on the cheek in farewell.

"Gross!" he shouted, yanking himself away from her grip.

"I'm trying to be nice, you stupid piece of shit!" she screamed, smacking him over the head.

"You're fucking nasty doing that crap! You creep!"

"You know what: fuck you. Eat my ass, Yusuke!"

"It'd be a small meal." His snark earned him another smack over the head.

I smiled and glanced around to see the witnesses, finding Genkai and the guest standing next to each other quietly.

"You can say goodbye to Yusuke, Minoru." Aiko's breaking voice caught my attention as she stopped a few yards away from us and Minoru quickly ran to his idol.

Yusuke knelt slightly, arms open to catch Minoru as he lept into his idol's embrace. Aiko headed off to her guest.

"Will you be leaving as well?" Koenma asked me.

"Yes, later on."

"Will you want to return?"

I sent him a glance; he already knew the answer.

He nodded. "I'll see what we can do about you coming back and forth."

We stood by and watched as people departed into the portal, one by one. Hiei left first, quickly leaving Yukina's side. Then Yusuke went, ruffling Minoru's hair before jumping into the portal. His recruiters soon followed.

The SDF closed the portal quickly as we stood still, feeling the auras of everyone around us. Some were heavier, sadder than others. Kuwabara passed me by, gripping my shoulder.

"See you around," he said.

"Don't be a stranger," I replied.

"'Course not." He grinned and headed to Yukina. "I'll need some help getting into Gai Tech after all."

"You know how to reach me, Kuwabara."

The two began heading back to the temple, and soon everyone followed suit except for Koenma, who returned to Reikai with the SDF. I'd expected Aiko to have left, but Minoru's scent was still lingering around the compound.

When I followed the scent, I thought it was strange when I entered one of the living rooms at Genkai's temple and found Aiko to be gone. Her guest was with Kuwabara and Yukina in one of the living rooms babysitting Minoru.

Despite her street punk appearance, she sat proper with her feet tucked under her as she watched over Minoru while he bombarded Yukina and Kuwabara with questions about their hair color.

"Aiko is with Master Genkai in the dojo," the guest said, noticing me scan the room.

"She's asking for a favor!" Minoru said excitedly. "I hope it's to come here often because this place is wicked cool! That statue in the dojo was just _so _big!"

My mind reeled. I turned on my heels and headed down the open hallway. She was going to ask to be trained under Genkai—suffer the same fate as Yusuke.

I paused as I reached the dojo door, hand hovering over the handle. Who was I to tell her she couldn't make the decision? Despite it being an unfathomably stupid one—just as the one she made before this was.

The door slid open on its own, revealing the ever-knowing Genkai on the other side. The room was dimly lit; only a few candles surrounding Aiko remained alive as opposed to the entire room being filled with light an hour ago.

"Come on in, nosy fox," Genkai said, returning to her seat across from Aiko. "I expected you to get here sooner."

The brunette glanced over her shoulder to me as I stood above her, and I slowly sat next to her.

"I'm not making another stupid decision," she mumbled in defense instantly.

"It's your decision to make," I replied calmly, which earned me a lingering gaze.

"I saw Maya the other day," she said, eyes lowering from mine. "She… had a spike in reiki like I did." I felt a brow rise but let her continue. "I have an idea why, but the real point is… she can't control it."

"And you want me to teach her to control it," Genkai grunted.

Aiko nodded. "She's become depressed and anxious because she doesn't know what's going on… I'm worried for her. I only know how to repress my ki, not use it—"

"That's all she needs to know then."

"Yes, but you see…" Aiko drew in a deep breath, speaking intimately of the girl I was fond of in junior high. "Maya is the type of girl who lives for things like this. If I were to try and teach her how to repress her ki, she'd only want to learn how to use it. She'd want to learn everything about the other realms. She lives for knowing about the unknown."

I tensed, wondering if a spike in reiki could bring back memories. It was merely paranoia as the powder was meant to _erase_ memories, not hide them. The real issue was her becoming acquainted with the realms, learning of everything—of me—again.

Genkai saw my dip in expression and smirked. "Something wrong, Kurama?"

I glanced to Aiko. "I erased her memories of me in junior high."

She cocked her head to the side, hair falling over her shoulder to shade the flame of the candle behind her. "Why?"

"She was attacked and found out about me," I replied. "I wanted to spare her, let her have a normal life."

Aiko gave a pitiful chuckle. "All she's ever wanted was something exciting to happen in her life, you know?"

"And she'd confessed her… 'feelings' for me."

Aiko's lips puckered and she turned her eyes to the floor in front of her. I knew what was reeling in her mind at the moment—she knew Maya finding out about me wasn't the only reason I erased her memories.

Genkai snorted a laugh at the youth. "Still want me to fix her, _teenage girl_?"

Aiko looked up to Genkai, face stoic, calm. "Yes." And she set her gaze on me. "Whether she remembers you or not, and whether you decide you feel the same for her again or not, I'm still here to help her… and you."

Genkai's expression softened into one of prediction, her small smirk the one of a knowing grandmother. She stood and walked past us to leave the room.

"Bring her by when you're ready."

With no words to say, we stared at the wall across from us, eyes resting on the gold statue that towered towards the ceiling. I could hear her heart beating subtly, calmly, as she stared up at the polished god. With each passing second, it grew heavier, faster, and I could see her jaw tense from the corner of my eyes.

She spoke suddenly, voice small in an attempt to control her trembling. "Now would be a really good time… you know?"

I rested my arm around her shoulder and nudged her gently, letting her lean on me. She rested her head against my shoulder and stared down at the dirty wood floor. I had no words to ease her worry, no reassurance to give her confidence in the both of us. Actions were always louder than words with her.

We sat in silence in the quiet room, watching the flicker of the candles' flames and the melting wax dripping slowly to the base. She soon grabbed my free hand for what felt like dear life, and I gently wrapped my fingers around her white-knuckled hand. Her heartbeat began to slow and soon became calm.

* * *

**Maya.**

I had been positively livid. I had been so angry at her because I knew she was hiding things from me. She was different too now, I could feel it the moment I opened the front door to find her behind it. Her conversation in the bathroom was just the nail in the coffin that told me she knew things—she was aware of what secrets the world held.

And she wouldn't help me deal with mine—she wouldn't help me understand what was going on with me. She didn't lie—though I knew she would have had I pushed her into a corner—but she omitted the truth again.

But when she came by last night and talked to me and my parents about helping me get better since she knew what was wrong, we all eagerly agreed.

Doctors thought I had the flu, some sort of stomach virus. The medication they gave me at first helped the nausea and all the physical symptoms but they soon returned with a vengeance. I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed and go to school it was so bad, even after the physical symptoms went away.

I went to my finals at the end of first year and I was doing better. A little after the beginning of second year, I thought I could go back because I'd noticed my… power… disappeared. But then things started breaking around me, even in class.

It scared me more than the power had when I first acquired it because I couldn't control when I broke things like I could control my power.

My parents were on board with me taking a sick leave and independent study from school and going out to fix this.

_"No matter how long it takes, Maya," daddy said, holding me close. "We're here for you. Come back when this is all over… when you're ready."_

Now, on the bus, I stared at Aiko in awe as she told me of her adventures over the past year. I couldn't believe what I'd always thought to be true actually was.

Youkai, otherworldly beings, and other dimensions! I knew I wasn't crazy! With this kind of finding, maybe aliens weren't too far-fetched an idea either.

The bus hit a speed bump and she bounced in her seat as the bus landed.

"Oh, I wish you told me all about this when it happened!" I groaned. "Why didn't you? This is so amazing! Is Minamino in on this too?"

"Yeah, he's a part of it," she mumbled. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you dragged into this. I mean, I put myself in a lot of shit and now I can't get out."

She spoke with forced emotion, and the fact she wore sunglasses in the bus to hide her bruises didn't help with making her look any more convincing with facial expressions. To be honest, she didn't even seem to care about whatever she got herself into.

Hell, I didn't care what I was getting into now—adventure was what I _lived_ for. Comics were the closest thing I could get to the real thing and now I had a chance to be a part of the supernatural world. Even if it was just training at a dojo to control my powers—that was so exciting.

"What is it?" I asked, leaning over to her, forcing her to inch away from me.

She glanced around the bus once more, noting we were alone aside from the bus driver in the early morning.

"I'm… an informant, I guess." She kept her voice low anyway.

"That's so cool!" I squealed, holding my suitcase tighter in my lap as I kicked my legs into the aisle. "Oh, Aiko, you're so lucky. I wish my life was exciting. I hope it's exciting up here."

She scratched the back of her neck. "So tell me, when you first started feeling weird and all those things started happening—what exactly could you do?"

"Well, it happened when I came back from Mushiyori a couple of months ago," I said. "Some of the girls and I at Kaiou went shopping down there, but I was the only one that got sick a few days later."

"'Sick' how?"

"I was vomiting, passing out, headache, fatigue—the works," I sighed. "My parents took me to the doctors and they prescribed me some medicine but it didn't really help. Eventually weird things started happening…"

"Like?"

I remembered the cold morning in my room when my mother had come in to bring me some hot soup. I lay under the blankets, tired but unable to sleep. I appreciated my mom coming in to give me food but I knew she would want to talk to me and my head hurt just so bad—I didn't want her near me.

"I don't know how to explain it." I shrugged. "It was like the atmosphere in my room just changed. Everything around me felt so heavy, but I felt so… light."

"Like humidity in the air." She nodded.

"Yeah, that's it…" I nodded. "My mom was bringing me something in my room, and she just stopped walking. Mid-walk. Just stopped."

"Like… time just stopped?" she whispered.

"Mouth hung open, foot in the air—literally stopped dead in her tracks."

"That's a territory," she explained. "It was a byproduct of the tunnel to Makai opening in Mushiyori. A lot of people apparently were affected by it and could do similar things. So you weren't alone."

"Then when it went away a while ago, things were pretty normal," I said. "At least I thought… Until things just kept breaking around me, like that plate. Especially when I would be mad or excited, things would just break."

"That's your reiki," she said, crossing her arms over her chest in thought. "Maybe developing a territory spiked your reiki—that'd explain why it's hard for you to control, since your body never had to deal with so much ki before."

"You sound like you know about this." I smiled to her and she shrugged with a small smile in return.

"Yeah, I had a moment where I couldn't control some reiki I received. I got it under control now." She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. "And after you get some help, you'll get it under control too."

The bus rolled to a stop and the driver looked back at us. He called out the stop name.

Aiko looked out the window to see the forestry. "This is our stop."

We stepped off the bus as the doors hissed closed, and we groaned at the sight of the never-ending cement stairs. They seemed to stretch on forever up the side of the mountain. I sighed and hiked up the handle of the rolling suitcase and then thought twice.

Ugh, I should have brought that duffle bag instead, but this one held all the sports clothes, pajamas, and class materials I needed to bring.

"I'll take you up, get you settled in and stay for a little bit," she said, stepping up the stairs. "But I have work this afternoon so I need to head back sooner rather than later."

"That's fine!" I smiled, figuring I'd drag the suitcase for a while and then carry it. I could switch off like that.

Or so I thought.

God, I never thought it'd take so long… I tried to hide the fact I was breathing heavily by pausing at the edge of the stairs when we reached the top.

Aiko was breathing heavily too, so I didn't feel so out of shape. "I did this like a few days ago… and I forgot I said… I wouldn't do it again."

"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be told… to run up and down these stairs sometime while I'm here…" I groaned and Aiko laughed at me.

We walked under the large tori and into what could be considered a large courtyard. The stone floor beneath us was dusted, and in the distance I could see a figure with violet hair still sweeping. ******

"Excuse me!" Aiko called to the person, who was wearing black attire—what I could only assume was a black jumpsuit.

The person turned around, and my jaw dropped in awe at the single horn protruding from the woman's forehead and pointy ears. Her eyes were a sort of royal pink, such deep a color you could mistake it for red or purple in dark lighting.

"Yes?" She stopped sweeping and placed a hand on her hips as she saw us approach.

"Hey!" Aiko grinned to the woman like she knew her. "I brought someone for Master Genkai."

"Ah, Master Genkai has been expecting you both," the woman said and nodded behind her to the dojo doors. "She's waiting right inside."

"Thanks, Miss!" Aiko smiled to her as I couldn't find it in me to pick up my dropped jaw.

Aiko nudged me in the side when she realized I couldn't stop staring.

The woman's eyebrows twitched and she spoke with refrained irritation. "Is there a problem?"

I gushed at her, words flying out my mouth. "Oh my god, you are _so_ beautiful! Are you a youkai?! Oh, _wow_!"

She was taken back at how excited I was, and before I knew it, the handle I was holding snapped off the suitcase after a bout of sparks flew around my hand. Aiko and the woman jumped away from the stray sparks.

I stared down at the handle sheepishly and the youkai woman gave me a small smile. "Looks like you have a lot to learn… What's your name?"

"Kitajima, Maya." I smiled. "You can call me Maya!"

"Miyuki." She nodded her head to the two of us.

"Hojo, Aiko," Aiko said, returning the nod.

"You two should get in there," Miyuki said. "The later you are, the harder your training gets."

We stepped up wood stairs and slid the shoji door open. Aiko took the glasses off and placed them atop her head as she looked around the dojo, finding Master Genkai standing impatiently in the center of the dirty wood floors. *******

"You're late," she said simply, hands behind her back.

She was old, small, with graying pink hair under a purple cap that had the kanji for "master" written on it. Could an old woman really help me? …I guess so. I mean, who better to help you channel your _reiki_ than someone who's going to die soon?

Aiko said nothing and bowed at the waist, so I followed suit. She nudged me in the side again and I figured I should apologize.

"I'm sorry, Master!" I tried, feeling weird succumbing to someone with authority like this. "The trek up the stairs was long."

"Wrong answer."

Aiko and I tensed, nervous, as Master Genkai stepped aside. We looked up to see her reveal two buckets with wash rags hanging out the sides.

"I want the dojo, the hallways, kitchen, and any room with wood floors cleaned," she ordered. "And when you're done with that, you can take the shoji and mats and dust them out. Afterwards, you'll detail clean the kitchen and then help Miyuki and Yukina cook dinner."

"Well, have fun, Maya!" Aiko quickly smiled to me and gave me a fleeting wave. When I glanced over my shoulder she practically out the door.

Before I could even blink, Genkai was behind Aiko's retreating figure. The hundred and thirty centimeter old woman reached up and grabbed the back of the hundred and sixty-two youth's collar, yanking her down to the ground. Aiko hit the floor with a small thud. **(*4)**

"Not so fast," Genkai tutted to Aiko as she groaned and sat upright. "You're in this too."

"I have a shift at three!" she replied. "I can't hang around here."

"Looks like you'll want to get the dojo and those hallways done as fast as you can then," she replied simply before leaving the room.

She grumbled and stood up once Genkai was out of sight.

"How is this going to help me control my reiki?" I pouted, watching the old woman's figure become smaller and smaller. "It's just chores…"

"She's trying to break you down so you'll leave, I guess." Aiko shrugged. "All I can think, really. I'm sure once you do her dirty work she'll start really teaching you."

I huffed. "Well it's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me! I've been waiting for something like this my whole life. I finally have superpowers—I'm going to hone them!"

Aiko giggled before taking off her cardigan, purse, and glasses to set them outside on the stairs. "I'll help you with the dojo and hallways, but I need to leave by twelve."

"That's fine," I said with a smile, setting my suit case near her stuff as I rolled up my shirt's sleeves. "Let's do this!"

A small spark shot out my hand and zapped Aiko in the arm. She recoiled and hissed in pain as I laughed an apology.

We set to work right away. I totally felt like I was in one of those karate kid movies, running the wash rag across the floor, wiping sweat off my brow, and then turning around to get the next dirty patch. I was careful with my emotions. I tried to make sure that no sparks flew around while I was cleaning. I didn't want them travelling across the wet floor and zapping Aiko again. Especially since the first time it happened she didn't get away in time.

Just a little past twelve, Aiko and I finished all the hallways and dojo and she hugged me goodbye.

"Don't be afraid to call or write, or whatever!" she said, waving to me as she set foot past the tori. "Let me know how everything goes."

"Of course!" I waved goodbye to her as she set off back to civilization.

I set off to the rooms that had wood floors and cleaned them as well, and then I went to take out the shoji and mats and beat the dust out of them. By dusk, I made it to the kitchen. It wasn't too bad, it was kept it good shape, but there was grim caked in nooks and crannies that I had to get out and dust in the cabinets and blah blah blah…

Luckily, I finished right when Miyuki set foot in the kitchen.

"Looks pretty good, Maya," she said, eyeing the now sparkling white tiled floor as she tied her violet hair up. "You finished everything on your list?"

"Just have to cook dinner with you and Miss Yukina!" I replied with a tired smile.

"I'll start prepping everything, you go put the cleaning supplies away and wash up before helping." She winked at me and I breathed a quiet thank you.

After putting everything away, I sighed and slouched against the bathroom sink as water ran over my dirty hands. How tiring… I wanted to sleep.

I shot up instantly. No! She wants to see weakness so she could send me home! I was going to see this through.

I scrubbed my hands until the dirt was gone and returned to the kitchen, finding Miyuki over a cutting board and a smaller, icy blue haired girl at the stove. Another youkai?! Wow!

"Excuse me!" I smiled as I entered, drawing both of their attentions. "Need any help?"

They looked over to me, and I was taken aback by the icy blue haired girl's ruby red eyes. My jaw dropped again as she smiled to me.

"You must be Miss Maya! I'm Yukina." The blue girl smiled, and gestured for me to come over. Excited, I quickly walked over to her. "I just put the rice in the steamer and Miyuki's working on the garnish. Can you cook meat well?"

"I'm pretty good with beef!" I smiled.

"Can you do pork?" Miyuki asked, and I nodded.

"Well, it's all the same in the end, right? What are we having tonight?"

"Goya champloo," Miyuki replied. **(*5)**

We set to work, each being given individual tasks. I was seasoning and slicing the pork when I struck up a question.

"So… How many people are we cooking for?"

"Just the four of us tonight," Yukina responded, heating the pan. "Sometimes we have guests. Some are humans that are in need of help, like you, and some are youkai."

"Does she always make you guys do these chores?" I asked.

Miyuki laughed as Yukina suppressed a giggle.

"No. Well, I mean, we have chores and all," Miyuki said, dicing carrots. "But she just knew you'd do what she told you."

I huffed and pouted as the girls laughed, but I found I wasn't really angry. If this was some sort of initiation rite then so be it—besides, with the way the two spoke so confidently in what it was, I was sure I was right.

Before the food was finished, I was asked to set the table. As I laid down the last plate, I heard Genkai's voice behind me.

"Finished everything?" she asked as she sat at the table.

Yukina and Miyuki came out with the finished food as I replied with a smile. "Yes, Master Genkai."

She stared at me steadily.

"Oh, thanks," Genkai said as she noticed Yukina handing her a bowl of rice.

I tucked my feet under me and sat next to Genkai after passing out all the food, and just two bites into my dinner I heard something that upset me.

"You're fixed," she said. "You can go home tomorrow."

"What?" My jaw dropped open for the third time today, and I watched as Yukina ducked out of the way of a stray spark that flew from my hand.

"Just wanted to see what was wrong with you," Genkai said simply with a shrug. "Your friend told me about it but I wanted to see it for myself. You'll have control over your reiki before the end of tomorrow, even sooner actually."

"Really…?" I was almost sad at the news.

"You learned to control your reiki when you were cleaning," she noted, shoving a small bunch of rice in her mouth. "You just need to get the hang of that and you'll be on your way."

I stared down at my champloo, suddenly feeling a lot less hungry. How rude would it be to ask her to actually train me?

"Just spit it out, kid," Genkai grunted.

"I was actually… hoping to not only control my ki but… really learn how to use it."

Miyuki was looking between us like it was a juicy TV drama and though Yukina was interested in Genkai's reply, she kept her eyes lowered on her plate and pretended that the meal she was eating was ten times more interesting.

"I don't have it in me for another student," she said curtly.

I nodded and continued eating. I guess I'd have to learn how to hone everything on my own after this…

"Did you actually expect me to take you under my wing and _train_ you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I knew this wasn't supposed to be permanent—it's not. I guess I just thought it was more than a quick fix." I set my chopsticks down quickly and turned away from the table to properly bow. I didn't want her to think I was being rude! Forehead to the tatami floor, I continued. "Regardless, I appreciate you taking the time out of your life to help me with this issue. It's truly a godsend."

"Not often do I find a human kid who actually wants to learn how to channel their ki after a life without it—in a life of pampering, at that."

My forehead stayed on the floor, and I was glad I couldn't find the courage to look up at her as I replied. "I've always enjoyed calling myself an adventurous spirit. I mean…" No, I had to sit up and look her in the eye. Her stare—cold but probably her permanent expression—struck me. I worked up the courage to continue. "I've lived vicariously through every show, book, or comic in existence, hoping one day I could really see and experience their stories. I know this is the closest to leaving a boring life behind as I can get."

"What, you think I'll teach you how to shoot firebolts out your ass so you can run around and pick fights with youkai like your comic book protags?" she snorted.

I shook my head. "No… I… I don't know what I'd do. Maybe help people the way you do. I want to do something great with this." I found myself smiling as my eyes drifted to the tatami pattern. "All I know is this is going to be my last chance at leaving a mundane human life behind. I always accepted it was going to be that way, but then Aiko told me you could help…" I found myself laughing. "I just got in over my head. I'm sorry for expecting so much. I truly do appreciate what you're doing to help me—I'd be a wreck without it."

She didn't reply, and after a few moments of awkward silence I turned back to my plate to eat.

I was so embarrassed—shit. How dumb and rude could I get?

Shit. I wanted to slap myself silly.

Her voice caught me by surprise as I finished the last of my dinner. I jumped out of my skin, not really processing her words until after I had a mini heart-attack.

"I don't go easy on my students."

Tips of my chopsticks still between my lips, I found myself smiling ear to ear—which sent excited, blue sparks flying about the room.

* * *

**A/N:**

*** **175 cm is about 5'7".

**** **_Torii's_ are traditional gates found in Shinto shrines, marking the grounds sacred.

******* _Shoji_ is usually a sliding door (but sometimes a window or room divider as well) that has paper-like covering over a wood or bamboo frame to hold it together.

**(*4)** 130 cm is about 4'3" and 162 cm is about 5'4".

**(*5)** _Champloo_ is stir-fry originating from Okinawa that includes meat or fish, tofu, vegetables, egg, bean sprouts, and bitter melon.


	12. On Melancholy Hill

**Suzume.**

Fourth day on the job and I'd been practicing my cover with the customers. The persona of Ito, Yori, was fun… in its own way.

Ito, Yori was flirty and spunky. I owed that persona to watching the college teens that strolled through and spent time in the little nook of a coffee shop I worked at.

I gave credit to the main three I had to watch over. They were next in line.

"Yori, biiiiiitch," Natsume sighed. She hiked her messenger bag over her shoulder before picking up a couple of bagged pastries and setting them on the counter. "Black coffee, pleeeeaaase."

"As usual." I smiled and glanced to the blonde. "Hayashi?"

She smiled and tapped her index finger against her lips as her eyes scanned the menu above my head. "I've wanted to try it for a while, so… hot chocolate, please!"

I nodded and looked to the quiet girl in the group. She was tying her locks in a tight bun atop her head. "Fukui?"

"Uh… I guess I'll have the orange juice drink," she replied.

"The one with a splash of caffeine or the bottle?" I asked, pointing behind me with the pen to the small refrigerator that contained all our bottled drinks.

"The one with caffeine." She nodded.

Hayashi paid and the three sat at the little bar stools off to the side of the counter, away from the line. With their textbooks in front of them on the counter, they ate their treats and talked quietly among themselves.

I finished their orders and set the cups in front of them as Natsume picked up her jingling cell phone.

"Akane speaking." She flashed me her index and middle finger and gave me a little wink as I nodded.

I decided to run for my coworkers and finish their orders instead of taking new ones. If I didn't focus on listening to a customer I could eaves drop on the conversation. But the number of caffeine shots this young man wanted in his coffee distracted me.

What was wrong with children these days? I watched them more than I interacted with them. The youth I carried over weren't too bad; it was the youth I observed.

So different…

It was as if the generations' youth became dimmer and dimmer in intelligence as time passed.

I set the drink on the counter next to my coworker just as they handed the customer their change.

"Thanks, Ito!" He grinned.

"No problem, sugar." I patted his shoulder and walked to another register.

Reading the order, I focused more on Natsume and her friends.

"Christ, Ami, what the fuck is that?" Natsume gasped, looking at Hayashi's textbook.

"Physics," she replied with a blasé shrug.

"Physics, huh," Natsume snorted. "Can't you find like circumferences and speed and distances with that shit?"

"Well, yeah—"

"Find the circumference and speed of my ass before it hits the couch when Kinpachi-sensei is on." Hayashi sighed as Natsume cackled childishly. *****

"Well." Hayashi gave a playful smile. "Considering your hip measurement is, what? Thirty-six inches?"

"Fuck you."

Hayashi glanced to me, noticing me watching her. It happened every time they came in here the past four days. The first time she caught me I was a bit nervous so I did what Ito, Yori, would.

I gave a playful smirk and wink, just like I did today.

Hayashi lips puckered to repress a smirk, and Natsume noticed her lips curve and cast a glance to me. Like the school girls they were, Natsume covered her mouth and looked back to Hayashi to gossip.

The first time this happened, I was nervous they were calling me out in my disguise, figuring me suspicious. But each time this happened, Hayashi would turn her attention back to Natsume. I realized the whispers were always about something else.

My coworker handed his customer their change and my attention piqued when I heard Fukui speak.

"Fujihara wanted to know if we're going to his party tonight," Fukui interrupted. It was with such little emotion it was as if she was saying this despite knowing Natsume's answer.

"We're going to the dealer's tonight," Natsume replied, tone laced with irritation. "You know that."

"Yeah, I know." Fukui shrugged, eyes still on her textbook.

"Then why the fuck would you even bother bringing that up?"

Fukui didn't reply; she merely stared down at her orange drink with the same distant, tired look she always bore.

I made a mental note to call Aiko later tonight and mention the word "dealer's" to see if she knew anything or if it was important. It was the first mention of anything not related to school or their social circle I figured I should note.

* * *

**Koenma.**

There was a joke about our file's room. Employees said it was so big it was another level of hell.

It was true, though, how big it was. If one wasn't careful, they could get lost for weeks on end in the room. With files on every being since the dawn of Reikai, the room might as well have been another realm all its own.

That was why I'd given up searching through here before.

I'd decided to go through the files many times before but was never able to make it far due to the sheer amount. The most recent time was when Sensui first disappeared with the tape. When the tape disappeared, along with him, the reaction from officials and my father wasn't a huge one.

It didn't settle with me and so I began searching—and unfortunately I gave up about two weeks into my little case. I went in blind and no idea what to look for, so I was on a wild goose chase.

Sadly, years later, I still was on a wild goose chase.

I knew at least to narrow the time line of my search down to the last few hundred years—when Reikai put up the barrier. Still, hundreds of years' worth of files on every being was daunting and far from promising.

"Lord Koenma," Jorge mumbled behind me, holding up the lantern to shed more light in the dim room. "Do you have an idea of what you're looking for this time?"

"No…" I grumbled, walking down the first aisle. "But I do know I need to start looking within a certain time frame."

"But Lord Koenma, that still leaves billions of files regardless."

"You don't think I know that, Jorge?!" I snapped, feeling better when I watched him flinch away from me. "I need more of a direction than that."

"Well…" He followed after me down the aisle, looking up at the sky scraper-esque bookshelves that towered above us. "Why not look at all the barrier official's records?"

"Yeah and find them squeaky clean! If there really is something going on with them like hell will it be in the records, idiot Jorge!"

He twiddled his thumbs, mumbling to himself about just how unappreciated he was and blah, blah, blah. It all went in one ear and out the other.

"No matter what I narrow it down to in this time frame, I'm still going to have billions of files to go through," I griped. "I'm going to have to go through them all until I find something wrong or Aiko comes back with information."

Jorge sighed behind me. "I'll get started…"

As much as I would have loved pushing the task on him, I knew I couldn't afford to let something slip by because he was ignorant of some text.

"Let's start looking a couple years before the barrier went up," I said, turning out of the aisle and into another.

* * *

**Aiko.**

There was something about my relationship with mechanical pencils. It was an off-again-on-again thing; it was strong and magical but devastatingly short. No matter how diligent I was about putting them back in my pencil case they always seemed to turn up missing the next time I opened it.

I used pens for notes, not assignments, and using wood pencils was out of the question because I wasn't a godless heathen.

I stole Kurama's brand new pack of pencils. It wasn't fair that I had to keep losing mine and his always seemed to stay put. Obviously, this didn't bother Kurama in the slightest because, well, they were fucking pencils. But I felt real smug with a brand new handful of them in my bag.

I sat in the botany club's room with him as he finished club activities.

He stood across the room in front of the window with the two other plant dweebs, mulling over some weird vegetable at their workbench. I sat at one of the benches near the doors working on the new subsection of chemistry that my teacher started. The first few weeks were our review of general chemistry, and now we entered the next set.

This was easier than gen chem so far, so I didn't mind all the assignments.

Pretty absorbed in the work, I jumped in fright at the sudden bout of beeping that came from my blazer pocket. I knew the two plant dweebs were also tech geeks so I figured I should take the call in the hallway. Last thing I needed was for them to see Reikai's advanced technology.

Closing the sliding door behind me, I looked around the hallway as I leaned against the wall. Plenty of students were still here. I could hear their chatter from behind the other closed classroom doors. But they were all inside and occupied, not in the hallway.

Pulling out the compact, I noted the familiar golden hue flashing in tune with each beep under the silver lining. Suzume was calling. Flipping it open, the screen flashed the sunset's color. I pressed a little button and Suzume's face flickered into view.

"Got anything useful?" I asked.

"Not sure," she replied. "The girls mentioned the dealership."

With a deep breath, I looked out the window. Eyes squinting from the sun's setting rays, I thought aloud. "Could be, but… her mother owns plenty of dealerships throughout Japan." I looked back to the screen. "Keep tabs on it, though. That's her family after all. It could be something."

I wasn't too upset about having such little information coming in from Suzume. It'd only been roughly four days. I didn't expect her to give me anything worthwhile so soon.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Is it natural for her to treat Fukui like that?"

The question took me by surprise. "Like what? Shit…? Yeah."

"She didn't want to go to the dealers," she replied.

"She said 'no' to Natsume?" I scoffed a laugh. "No way."

"No, she didn't say 'no'," she corrected me. "She was noticeably upset about having to go."

I found myself scratching the back of my neck, confused. "Well, they usually go to the dealerships to see Natsume's mom and pick up whatever new prescription drug she has."

After that mental breakdown in her room, I figured Fukui would want to numb herself for a while. Especially now with having to _live with_ Natsume.

"Thanks for ear hustling, though." I smiled and gave her a wink. "See how often they go."

"What's the usual?"

"Well, when she lived here with her parents, her mom got a new prescription every four months or so. The stuff she's prescribed is really strong. She either needs to get off it so she doesn't become physically dependent on it or it 'doesn't work' and she gets new medication." I remembered the day I watched her pop three point-five-milligram pills of klonopin. She still managed to function like the sales queen she was. "I'd say if she goes every week, there's something fishy. She's close to her mom but not _that_ close."

Suzume nodded. "That's all I have then. I'll keep you updated."

I returned the gesture. "Thanks."

Her screen flickered out and I stared out the window again. With a heavy sigh, I figured I should make a call to Natsume and "hang out." But just as the thought passed through my mind, my compact started beeping again. I glanced down to the bright pink light flashing on the screen.

Botan.

Pressing the middle button, the reaper's cheery face showed on the other end. "Hello, Aiko!"

Teasing her, I matched the exasperated tone to my expression. "Oh, great. What'd I do wrong now?"

Okay, so I wasn't teasing her.

"Nothing." Her lips split apart into her trademark cheerful smile. "I'm just calling to let you know you have an appointment with Genkai this Friday afternoon!"

"You make it sound like a doctor's appointment," I replied. "What's it about?"

"Pack a spare change of clothes," Botan said, and my face dropped.

"I'm not doing any work or training, right?" I glared at Botan.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

Yeah fuckin' right. She was deliberately hiding something from me.

"All I know is Koenma said you need to show up and talk to her. It's important and regards your case."

Inhaling dramatically, I let out a rivaling sigh. "Okay. Friday. What should I tell my parents I'm doing?"

"Koenma is going to take care of it!" Botan flickered off the screen without even saying goodbye. She knew I was going to ream her.

Closing the compact, I shoved it in my blazer pocket. Something was fishy. Why was I going to stay the night at Genkai's if she didn't have something in mind for me?

Ugh. I had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

**Kurama.**

"Well, look, the first batch's parents were both pure bred." I glanced over to Matsu, the tallest of the three here this evening. He was writing down numbers on his notepad, calculating data we received when we went to the garden last weekend. "First batch's progeny all came out purple. That's pretty rare."

"We won't know they're pure bred until the next generation comes out," I reminded him. I was careful in putting the white and purple hibiscus into a smaller pot.

The botany club filled their room with plants. A myriad of flowers and other greenery hung from the ceiling in pots and decorated the benches and shelves. Most of these would be leaving to decorate the garden.

The botany club recently decided to begin their own garden in a small lot a ways off campus. I offered the idea of making vegetable gardens in places around the prefecture. This was to give me an alibi for weekends and long trips away from Mother when I went to Makai. I'd be aiding in a cold war under the guise of creating gardens in low-income areas to provide fresh, cheap produce for the locals.

Meiou High's board was still mulling over the possibility, but I knew they would agree. So long as we could find some funding for the beginning of the project, there shouldn't be a problem. They would allow us one garden to begin with and see how we fared with the project.

The simple genetics experiments we began on the pea flowers were for our biology project.

"Second batch gave a few white flowers," Aki replied.

A familiar spark, like the one that night at the department store, flickered briefly in the air. With a wave of anger washing over me, I took off the white lab coat, folded it, and set it on the workbench behind me.

"If you'll excuse me," I said, drawing Aki and Matsu's attention to me. "I'll be back."

The two nodded in response and returned to their work as I went to leave. The door opened as I approached it. Aiko stopped and cocked her head to the side in curiosity. I nodded to the hallway and she stepped out of my way.

Leaning against the wall, I leaned down to whisper. "Yomi's subordinates are here again—"

"Where?" she hissed; irritation radiated from her every pore.

"No, I need you to stay here," I replied, hoping my harsh tone would get through to her. "Stay with Aki and Matsu; stay in people's sights."

"Are they trying to fight…?" she asked, bewildered. "Here?"

"No, I don't think that's their intention, but I won't take the possibility off the table," I replied. "I need you to stay in sight of people. They won't harm humans but if something happens to you at least it will be easier tracking you."

"Damned if I go up there and damned if I don't," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Stay alert," I said, turning to leave. "Stay safe."

Her arm gripped my jacket's sleeve and I glanced over my shoulder to her. Her tone and features were just as demanding as mine had been. _"You_ stay safe."

With a reassuring smile, I placed my hand atop hers and gently guided it off my arm. "I will."

We parted ways and I could hear her answering Aki's question of where I went. "The bathroom."

I headed to the roof, knowing that'd be the smartest place for them to hide. They were hiding around the door, leaning against the wall. I approached the chain link fence and kept my distance from him as I gazed out to the city skyline.

It was the same wrapped youkai from the alley that night. He kept his hat low still, shielding his face from view. I waited for him to speak, tell me why he dared show himself again, but he didn't.

"I excused your last appearance." I decided to speak. "And I'll excuse this one as well since I'm sure you're here for my answer. But do note if you continue to linger around this realm to keep tabs on me and my human life, I will not hesitate to produce your corpse to Yomi."

He gave a low, throaty chuckle in response. Either he was ignorant or arrogant. Either would be his downfall.

"Don't worry," he replied. "Whatever information Yomi wanted, he already received. I'm here for your answer."

"Subtle threat," I noted. "I'm not afraid to revoke my help."

Another laugh. "It wasn't a threat, I assure you. Just the truth. Now, are you willing to aid our Lord?"

I'd been mulling over my response ever since I received the message. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and then I knew exactly what I had to do. And they were the same answer. Part of my reasoning was from guilt and the need to repent. Part of it the need to protect those dear to me from Yomi's newfound political power. And part of it, a small part of it, was the desire to again taste the past I left behind sixteen years ago.

The words flew out effortlessly, sealing my fate. "I have terms he must be willing to accommodate."

"Such as?"

"I've embedded myself in this realm. Disappearing for an extended amount of time is not an option."

He was quick to reply. "There is no way to help Lord Yomi from this realm. He needs you present in Makai."

"I would be present in Makai," I replied. "But only for a certain amount of time each visit."

He paused in thought and gave such an authoritative answer it was almost as if Yomi had planned to hear this from me. "He'll agree to it if you're able to come and go through the barrier as you please, without suspicion."

"That won't be a problem," I assured him. "You can tell him I'll arrive in a few months to discuss this with him further."

"B—"

I cut him off. "Mukuro plans to attack Yomi when Raizen passes on. Based on my information of how long Raizen hasn't eaten, he still has at least a year left to live. Waiting a few months to solidify my alibi won't hinder Yomi's protection or plans to win the war."

There was a pause again, and then I knew for sure Yomi was aware of my every intention. "July."

"Yes. Now leave and do not show yourself here again."

And with that, he disappeared.

I waited on the rooftop, sensing the immediate area for any others lurking. When I felt it was safe, I returned inside Meiou. Walking down the stairs and through the halls, I wondered how often Yomi was keeping tabs on me. I knew he would send his stealthiest men to watch over my human life.

How deep had they dug into my personal affairs? He knew of my mother's wedding. What else had he surfaced? And what would he use against me?

"He's been gone for a while if he's just using the bathroom." Aki's voice carried through the quiet hallway.

Aiko's voice came next, dragging me out of my worry and letting exasperation take its place. "He's probably just having some trouble dropping the kids off at the pool."

I gave a heavy sigh as Aki and Matsu paused in confusion. It hit Matsu first and he groaned in disgust.

"You have to be the _classiest_ girl at Meiou, you know that, Hojo?"

Her laughter washed the exasperation away and surfaced another worry in me—that she could be a target. That she was on Yomi's radar. Opening the door to the classroom, I watched her keeling over in laughter, holding onto the nearby workbench to keep from falling.

If Yomi was watching her, would he take an interest in her habits? In her presumed identity as part of Reikai to the ignorant spies? We assumed that would be enough to keep them away from her, but was it really?

Did they take their chance and spy long enough to learn she was just a regular girl?

"Oh, oh there you are." Aiko tried breathing steadily through her laughter. She stood upright as I approached the group and she placed a hand on my arm, still laughing. "We were wondering what was taking so long."

"I got distracted by another classmate," I replied, and she snickered and keeled over again.

Laughing into my arm, she gave it a squeeze and nudged it. Towards the door. She wanted to leave.

"Another painful reminder that Minamino gets every girl in Meiou. Even the one that hates men," Aki sighed and turned back to the plants, and Aiko's laughter died in her throat.

She chocked on it.

"We just need to write down the data, Minamino," Matsu said as Aiko comically craned her neck around to glare at them. "You and Hojo can go."

"What kind of salty tea…" I nudged Aiko to stop talking and get her bag.

"Mother did want me to pick up some things for dinner tonight," I said as she glowered at Aki and Matsu.

I verified the schedule and upcoming dates with Aki and Matsu as Aiko and I packed up. I had to push her along when we left the classroom to keep the two from seeing her petulance. She stuck her tongue out at them, flipping them off, and I had to all but shove her away from the door.

We walked through the hallway, and just as I said her name to let her know of Yomi's lurking, she cut me off.

"Sorry," she said simply, not bothering to look over her shoulder at me.

I paused, confused, until she noticed I wasn't walking and stopped as well. Was she apologizing for—?

"So what did they want?" she asked, nodding her head towards the end of the hall to the staircase.

Pushing it aside for another time, I began walking again, passing her by. She picked up her stride.

"Yomi's subordinates have been watching me for quite some time," I replied, keeping my voice low as we passed a few students. "Which means they've been watching you."

"They're dumb enough to come near me when I'm with border patrol officials?" she scoffed. "Watch that backfire real fucking fast for them."

"Spend more time with them," I replied. "Do whatever you need to keep Yomi's men off your tail."

"Okay," she mumbled. "But what did they want?"

"My answer."

She descended the stairs faster, walking ahead of me. She didn't speak until we reached the first floor. "So when are you going?"

"When my mother leaves for her honeymoon."

She turned around in surprise—surprise filled with relief. She gave a bright, genuine smile. "July?"

I nodded.

She sighed. "That's a while away… Not too bad."

"And with the weaker barrier in Irima's cave from the portal, it'll be easier to travel back and forth there."

Spinning on her heels, she faced me with a grin and walked backwards. "Things always seem to work out for you, you know? You're pretty lucky."

"A fox is never lucky, only capable," I replied.

She laughed so hard she failed to notice the small step that lead from the hallway to the shoe lockers. Slipping back, her laughter caught in her throat again as she slipped backwards. Her hand extended, I grabbed on to hold her from falling. I didn't pull her off the step and she balanced her foot on the ledge.

There was a moment of silence where I waited for her to put her other foot on the ground and steady herself. Instead, she scoffed and returned to laughing.

"Shut the hell up, you loser! That's the lamest thing you've _ever_ said!"

I loosened my grip and watched her laughter catch her in throat again as she flailed to keep balanced. She quickly snatched my hand again to stay balanced. After just two seconds of giving me a sour glare, she stomped her other foot on the ground.

"Wipe that smug ass smirk off your face."

We stood in silence again, both waiting for each other to move away or speak first. But neither of us seemed to bother.

I kept my smile. She kept her grip.

* * *

**Maya.**

I crawled out of the forest on my hands and knees with staggered breath. I'd been at it since midnight and with the sun perched directly above me in the sky it had to be noon now.

Genkai let me out of the forest but I wasn't allowed near the compound. So long as I didn't touch the stone steps that lead to the entrance or the outside wood-floored hallways, I was still in.

I heard the rip in the air. It was subtle, but after twelve hours nonstop I was able to distinguish it. I could feel her presence, her youki was unique—palpable, at this point.

Muscles burning, I lept out of the way. A thick, purple whip cracked down on the grass almost grazing my arm as I rolled into nearby bushes. Chunks of dirt and grass flew into the air from the impact and I grabbed the whip.

She sucked her teeth just as I let my reiki go. Sparks traveled up the whip, and I watched the bright blue electricity climb the weapon as she let go and jumped back. With heavy breaths, I yanked on the whip and wrapped it in my hand, feeling the softness of her hair in my tight grip.

She appeared behind me—ready to chop me in the back of the neck, no doubt—and I ducked out of the way. I pivoted as I rolled to the ground, striking the whip at her legs. She jumped out of the way in time but didn't count on my reiki.

Her outfit, like a long cheongsam, exposed her legs with fabric just long enough to cover her front and back. I knew if I aimed for her legs, like I'd been trying all these hours, I could do some real damage.

Reiki zapped along the hair whip, travelling off the tip straight to where she would land. The electricity hit the dirt fast; she couldn't change momentum. She tried pivoting out of the way but the ki caught onto her shoes and traveled up her legs.

Her legs kicked up and… I swear in that little moment as her dress flipped up with her…

She fell on her bottom and I stood still, confused.

She was ready to get back up until she saw the look on my face, and her face blushed a deep red.

"You're…" I paused.

"A woman," she spat defensively.

But that bulge… but the breasts…?

"You're transsexual…?"

She… he… sniffed and stood up, brushing dust of his… its… bottom.

"I'm a woman." A declaration so strong I felt horrid. "You've seen me as a woman until now, so that shouldn't change anything."

I nodded hastily. "Yeah—you're totally right. I'm sorry."

We stared at each other for a minute, and I was trying to backtrack how rude I was but I couldn't quite find out how… Maybe if I asked her about it?

"Um—" She cut me off.

"I understand you're curious and that's fine," she said curtly, her tone harsh. "But I'm not comfortable talking to you about why or when or how."

"No! That's totally okay!" I flustered. "I'm sorry!"

"Let's get back to sparring," she grumbled, furthering the churn of guilt in my stomach.

A sharp whistle drew our attention to the edge of the forest. Right at the edge of the bushes, with the dojo doors in the distance behind her, was Aiko.

I found my hands up in the air as I cheered. "Aiko! Why are you here?"

She hiked up her backpack's strap on her shoulder as she gave me a wink. "Botan said I had to talk to Genkai about something."

"But a backpack?" I asked. "Are you staying long?"

"Botan warned me that I may need spare clothes depending on how things turned out," she replied as I ran to her.

She dropped the backpack at her feet and I eyed her over. I was almost envying the comfortable outfit: sneakers, sweatpants, and a t-shirt. I stood in rags—ripped sweatpants and a camisole following in its footsteps.

"I already talked to her for a minute. But she said before we got started I could drop by and chat," she said with a smile as she tied her hair up in a tight bun atop her head. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"You know, I asked myself if this was really what I wanted." I found myself laughing, and the truth spilled out instantly. "But guess what? It is. I'm exhausted, drained, and in constant pain—but this is so exciting! I don't train under Genkai directly; she tells Miyuki what to do with me, but either way it's great!"

"That's good!" She grinned to me, and I found myself jerking my head out of the way of her sudden flying fist.

Another came at me, and in a gradual pace, I found myself jerking my head around to avoid her punches.

"What the hell?!" I snapped, seeing the girl who had picked fight in the streets in junior high.

"Genkai wasn't going to tell me what she wanted unless I played with you first, girl!" She gave me a wink. And though her tone was apologetic, the swiftness with which she lifted her legs to kick me in the abdomen with showed she was far from sorry.

I side-stepped from the kick, jabbing my fist at her bruised cheekbone. She cocked her head back in surprise and grinned, becoming light on her feet.

I remembered the way she'd start fights with guys that passed her by after cram school. They'd whisper comments about us girls, saying how hot they thought we were or what they'd do to us. Or how ugly we were and what they thought we should fix about ourselves. Others, though rare, were vocal and would catcall or harass.

After the train incident, whether they were quiet or vocal, if Aiko ever heard them say anything, she'd start a fight. She'd yell at them and call them "pigs" and "walking scum" to provoke them and bring them back to us. I only saw three fights. Two where she gave the boys black eyes and kicked them in the family jewels, and one where she beat them to the ground with her school bag.

She never fought with prose or accuracy—hell, she couldn't even fight how they did on the street. She swung recklessly; she fueled her attacks with repressed anger and held no real style or talent.

But if she ever laid one on you… Boy, she could break skin or cartilage and draw blood.

I knew if there was ever a physical fight between us, she'd win hands down. But now, after almost two weeks of this intense training at Genkai's, I was just as good as her—maybe even better. Plus, her stamina wouldn't hold for long, not with her diet.

I gained on her, making her step back to dodge each perfectly aimed punch. She ducked to the ground and took me by surprise as she kicked my ankle in. My leg locked as I crumpled to the ground but I regained myself.

She moved her head away as I pulled myself back, hands planting on the ground to backflip. My foot missed her chin by a hair, and I steadied myself on the ground as she sprinted at me. I pushed her hand off track, shoving it past me as I side stepped her. I lifted my hand, remembering how Miyuki had recently tried chopping me in the back of my neck.

I had a clear shot.

"Idiots!"

The voice stopped me from laying it on her, and she snaked away from me.

We turned to find Genkai at the open hallway, annoyed. I grimaced, wondering how much worse the exercise would be if we weren't doing what she wanted.

"The both of you need to be working with your reiki," she said. "That's the issue you both have. Learning how to fight comes after you learn how to handle your ki, you incompetent children."

"Sorry, Master Genkai," Aiko and I said at the same time.

"Aiko, let's see your reiki," she ordered.

"You haven't shown her?" I asked.

Aiko shook her head and turned to Genkai. "…Will I pass out, though?"

"Maybe before you would have, but with the new amount of ki you have you should be able to let it go and be fine. Expending it, we'll have to find out."

I stepped back, remembering when I let my reiki go. It zapped everywhere and almost took out Yukina's eye had she not constructed a small barrier at the last second.

"You told me you had a handle on it," I said to her, and she held her right hand palm up.

"Yeah, to make sure I didn't let it go," she replied. "I didn't want to pass out so I just learned how to keep it under wraps."

"Well, let's see it," I said, watching a pretty blue flourish around her hand.

Bright sparks came with the glow as it darkened into a deep navy blue. The ki darkened as the sparks grew wilder, but nothing else was happening.

"Did… did you do it?" I asked.

She shook her head and gave a sheepish smile. "I'm… kind of nervous. What if it explodes or something?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Genkai's frame growing larger. Aiko almost jumped out of her skin seeing the old woman fly through the air at her with her little, yet lethal, legs aimed right for her face.

Aiko was able to see Genkai coming at her, so I knew Genkai was just trying to get a rise out of her. The fact Aiko was even able to react in time was enough to say Genkai was toying with her.

She jerked her head to the side and her glowing hand flew into the air, wrist connecting to the old woman's ankle to push it away. With her adrenaline peaked, sparks collided with each other and ignited. The reiki exploded, and around her hand burst a purple flame.

Genkai landed in front of Aiko with her hands behind her back and stared up at the burning hand. Aiko held her hand out, a tad nervous, like it was a dirty pair of underwear that was stuck to her arm.

Once I started laughing, I couldn't stop.

"W-what?!" she snapped, still in awe at her hand.

"It's one hundred percent you!" I cried from laughing, doubling over and holding my sides.

"The hell does that mean?!" she retorted, glancing to me before staring at her hand again. "Teach me how to do something with this. It's just sitting there!"

"That's the place you're most comfortable with releasing your reiki," Genkai said. "Fingers and hands are the most common body parts where ki is easiest to manifest."

"You focused it on your hand when she attacked you." I tried breathing through the laughter, but it didn't work. I hoped she could understand me.

"But if I like, you know, _use_ it, won't I pass out?" she asked, and I was finally able to calm a bit.

"Time to find out." Genkai began walking back to the temple. "Remember what you have to do."

I stood and snapped my finger, sending am electric trail of reiki from my fingertips to Aiko's feet. She jumped out of the way just in time, squealing in fright.

"You'll singe me with that!" she yelped. "Keep it away from my face."

"I've had two weeks of this bullshit!" I laughed, ignoring her cries. "I've got the upper hand here, Aiko!"

"Yeah, I'll manage to one-up you." She winked and ran into the forest, where Miyuki still stood, and disappeared behind the trees.

"I still have four of those left for the day, you know!" I called after her as I stepped up next to Miyuki. "Are you on my team now or is this a brawl?"

"I'll play on your team for now." Miyuki gave me a playful smile, and we headed into the forest after Aiko.

Miyuki jumped through the branches of trees above me as I ran through the bushes and dirt trails. The purple whip cracked above my head and flew into the large bushes ahead of us. I knew she would be going easy on Aiko for now, just as she had for me.

She landed next to me and we continued down a dirt path.

Aiko surprised me with how well she was able to hide. Either that or I was subconsciously going easy on her too. Either way, I knew we'd stumble upon her sooner or later and decided to strike up a conversation with Miyuki.

I wanted her to know I was sorry and that nothing changed how I thought of her.

"So what did you do before coming to Genkai's?" I asked, looking around the forestry, searching for any movement or ki.

"I was part of a gang full of apparitions," she replied. Her pointed ears twitched in search of any foreign sound. "We were the elite unit of the Apparition Gang, known as the Triad."

"Ooh!" I squealed. "Sounds so cool!"

She let out a small sigh. "Not really… I regret it."

"Why?" I asked, eyeing the green around us, searching for any movement not brought on by the wind.

"I was working for criminals," she replied after a minute or so. "Horrible criminals that abused and used other youkai and apparitions to get what they wanted."

That surprised me. She didn't seem like the type to be evil.

"It's hard repenting. Even if the other apparitions and youkai accept your apology," she said solemnly. "It still doesn't change the facts."

"It takes a lot of courage to forgive someone for something like that," I said with a certain person in mind. "Some people are never forgiven."

"Some people don't deserve to be forgiven," she echoed words I heard verbatim many times.

She stopped walking, and before I asked why, I felt the presence. We honed in on a large hedge of wild bushes.

Quietly, Miyuki pulled out another whip and let it glow a bright purple. I readied my ki, pressing my thumb, index, and middle fingers together to snap some out. Miyuki lept into the air, cracking her whip down into the bushes, and Aiko rolled out of them with twigs and leaves in her hair.

As Miyuki landed, she dragged her whip to circle back around Aiko. The brunette stayed crouched and extended her hand out towards the whip. Just seconds before it touched her hand, the fire spread and latched onto the weapon.

Miyuki sucked her teeth and let go of her whip. I snapped my fingers again, sending a string of electricity to Aiko. She jumped out of the way as Miyuki took her head on.

With Miyuki holding back, Aiko was able to reflect each fist or foot flying her way. She got the hang of it with ease and Miyuki picked up her pace, pushing Aiko back to square one. I ran to the fight, sneaking up behind her and kicking in the back of her knee.

She jerked backwards with a yelp of surprise as Miyuki laid a fist square in her face. She hit the ground with a hard thud, and we stood over her, readying another group attack in case she didn't want to admit defeat.

Sparks flew around my hand wildly as Miyuki readied her fighting stance. Aiko groaned through heavy breaths, lifting herself on her elbows as she looked up at us. Taking us by surprise, she held both hands in front of her and let out an explosion of fire.

We jumped away from the burst of ki. It lingered in the air, burning brightly but dying quickly. She ran through the flames, fist cocked back.

Miyuki grabbed hold of Aiko's wrist before she could lay one on me and pulled her back. Aiko dropped all her weight at Miyuki's touch, falling to the ground, and kicked my ankle in as Miyuki dragged her.

I fell to the ground as she reached her free hand up, laced it with fire, and swung at Miyuki's wrist. Aiko freed herself as Miyuki stepped back, and she disappeared in the greenery again.

"She's so reckless with her ki," Miyuki sighed. "That blast of fire was strong but if she was in a real fight then who knows how much she wasted. She doesn't know how to fight with it like that."

"That's why we're playing with her right now, yeah?" I nodded with a small smile, excited to teach Aiko a few things. "She has to learn how to conserve it."

"She's headed to the side of the hill," Miyuki said, taking off after her. "Let's corner her against the rocks."

I followed Miyuki into a small clearing that stretched along the rocky wall. Above us towered the large cliff I remembered climbing with weights attached to my ankles and wrists. Granted, it was only about an extra seven kilograms, but it was horrid... and I didn't finish... ******

Miyuki took the lead, walking along the wall and searching for Aiko. I scoped the landscape, looking back in the forest as we walked in the open path.

"Think she'd go in the cave?" Miyuki asked, nodding to the huge hole in the wall a couple yards down the path.

"It could be a good place to hide," I mused.

We approached the cave and I eyed the large opening before shaking my head. "No, even she knows not to corner herself in a place like that… but we can push her in there."

I grinned to the beautiful ogre as she passed me a smirk, but it disappeared quickly as she jumped out of the way. Feeling the temperature to my right rise, I stepped back.

Aiko caught on how to use her reiki as an appendage—but she was still wasteful. Another jab to the face and a stream of fire poured out of her fist, extending towards me like a flamethrower. The heat pushed me back more and more until I stepped into the shade of the cave.

Another snap of my fingers from my lifted hand brought a small, jagged shield of electricity in front of me. The sparks exploded against the fire. Fizzes of smoke blew around us as she sent another fire fueled jab my way, pushing me further into the cave.

"Now!" she yelled, pulling herself away from me as her voice bounced off the cold cave's walls.

Confused, I paused as she retreated from the cave and stepped in sunlight. Her bright frame was visible for just a split second before a dark mass crashed to the ground in front of me, clouding me in darkness.

Confused, ears numbed from the loud crash and eyes unable to see… I didn't know if I'd died or she—

"Aiko?!" I cried, running forward and slamming into the hard mass—a boulder.

I beat my fist against it before sparking my ki at it in hopes it'd break. It didn't. Not even a scratch.

"Sorry, Maya!" she called to me through the other end. "Genkai told me to trap you in there!"

What.

"This was… _planned?!"_ I screamed through the boulder.

"Yeah, she asked me to team up with Miyuki to trap you in there!" she replied. "Are you okay?"

I hung my head and heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah… What about you?"

"Fine."

"Did she say how long I'm stuck here?"

I could imagine her shrug. "No, but she said you better figure what she wants from you. Sorry. I have to get back to the temple, Maya."

I groaned, looking around the darkness that my eyes were slowly adjusting to. I let ki spark around my hand to provide some light. It was sparce, but enough to shine a faint blue glow on my surroundings.

"Have fun, I guess," I called through the boulder as I looked around the damp walls and floor.

The atmosphere was so melancholy. Depressing, really. Cold, and sad. The air had a moldy smell, mixed with pollen and dirt. There were faint hisses and scurrying in the distance, echoing off the walls.

I knew I was going to be stuck here for… well, at least three days, and at most a week or two. Honestly, whenever the old biddy wanted to send Miyuki for me. Unless I had to find a way out of here. But that seemed a bit simple.

I sat on the damp floor and tried to figure her line of thinking. I was alone in the darkness… what training could she want from me here?

I sat on the floor for what felt like hours, mumbling and grumbling in confusion and irritation. I eventually began talking to myself aloud.

"Really, what could she _possibly_ want from me in here? Is it really as simple as trying to find a way out?" I griped. "I don't understand…"

It was then, as my voice bounced off the walls around me, echoed loudly, I realized what she wanted.

Straightening up, legs crossed, I clasped my hands and set them in my lap and began concentrating. She wanted me to know myself, my ki—my being.

In the darkness alone, I had to learn how to understand myself.

* * *

**A/N:**

***** _Kinpachi-sensei_ is about a third year junior high class and its teacher, Kinpachi Sakamoto. More of a TV Drama. It covered a lot of issues and confusions teens face such as bullying, teen suicide, gender identity, mental health issues, etc.

****** 7 kg is approximately 15 lbs.

Thanks to _YuYuHakushoObsesser, _and my main bitch, _DIA MN D S,_ for being the real MVPs and dropping a few lines in a review even after all this time.

Thanks again, guys. Y'all keep me writing. Love ya. Muah.


	13. Time to Pretend

**_PART VII. "Time to Pretend."_**

* * *

_"This is our decision to live fast and die young. We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.  
Yeah it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?  
Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?"_

\- _Goldwasser-Vanwyngarden._

* * *

**Aiko.**

"Did you waste all your reiki?" Genkai snapped at me when I returned to her compound.

Her socks shuffled on the nice wood floors I help Maya clean not even six days ago and I hated seeing my work ruined in such a short amount of time.

"I don't know," I replied, stepping into the wood-floor hallway and then into the dojo. "But it's okay, I'll figure it out after we talk about why I'm here. What's up?"

"Figured they wouldn't tell your ass," Genkai grunted and I turned to her with skepticism.

_Please don't be what I think it is_. "Botan said we had some business to talk about but wouldn't give me much detail."

I wasn't exactly sure what happened, to be honest. In just one second I was fine—gravity was my friend and so were my two feet. But they failed me in the next, seeing as how a sharp pain surged in my chest—and then my head and back as I slammed into the wall.

Disoriented, I slid down the wall and landed on the hard wood below. The sharp pain grew heavy and lingered, stinging with every new movement I unwillingly made. I groaned and looked to the salty old woman across the dojo floor. I gritted my teeth to repress a whine of pain as I lifted myself from the floor.

"What the… _fuck?"_ I whimpered, my hand finding its way to my back to put pressure on the spazzing muscles.

"Koenma gave me the unfortunate task of training you," she replied. Just kill me instead, please. "That's why I need to know if you wasted all your reiki. I was hoping I wouldn't get stuck with someone just as stupid—if not _more_ stupid—than Yusuke."

Yusuke—she trapped him her for like months at a time. Oh, fuck no. No. No. _No._ "I can't exactly stay here all the time, you know."

"Yeah, Koenma told me all about how your daddy likes to hit you—"

"He does _not—"_

"So we figured an arrangement for you. You'll come here every Friday after school and go home every Sunday night after Yukina heals your injuries."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I groaned, sitting upright. My back spazzed again and I winced. I wanted nothing more than to pound the old biddy's face in but god knows she'd serve my ass to me on a silver platter. "I thought that stupid 'community service' lie was just for this weekend. You think they'll let this go on for a while?"

"You're dumber than Yusuke."

My face tensed in offense. "I am not!"

"That's why we said since you haven't had any club activities we're forcing you into community service." Right, at the local University's international student housing. "Until you build a nice application."

I groaned. I knew this was coming. I just really, really, _really_ didn't want to believe it. "I shouldn't need to be here that long."

She grunted. "You think what you're getting into in Tohoku won't demand self-defense? Something more than your teenage girl tantrums?"

Yeah, but…

I sniffed and rubbed my tail bone, looking away from her.

"That's what I thought. Now get up." Complying with a small groan, she then ordered me to try releasing my ki again. "Just stand where you are and do what you did before."

One jab in the air, envisioning the ki flowing out like before—naturally. Ki glowed around my hand, but as my fist flew through the air, the crackling fizzed out and left my hand without the pretty purple glow.

I stared at my bland fist before slowing moving my eyes to Genkai, whose scowl deepened. That was something I didn't think possible. I smiled at the old witch sheepishly and she snapped at me.

"You're lucky I'm starting you off with the basics." She then raised her voice. "Miyuki."

The ogre girl appeared from behind the shoji doors. "Yes?"

"Play with Aiko for a while; treat her like you would Maya."

"At Maya's level?" Miyuki clarified, stepping next to the old, salty woman.

Said salty woman began heading out the dojo from where Miyuki entered. "That or higher, I don't care. Whip her into shape for her exercises tomorrow."

I swear to _god_ if I had to run up and down those fucking stairs…

"I held back before," Miyuki said, curling a lock of purple hair around her index finger. "But you have less time here to train than Maya does, so—"

"Let's just go," I groaned. "Knock me out so I can get this over with."

I lifted my arms defensively to protect myself from the blows I wouldn't be able to avoid. An angry, ragged voice made me jump out of my skin before I could even get settled.

"_Use your ki, you dimwit_!"

I turned around to find Genkai, screeching my frightened reply. "_I thought you left!_"

"I came back because I knew I'd have to correct you," she replied, turning on her heels to leave. Hopefully for fucking _real_ this time.

"How do you want me to do that when I'm out?" I called after her.

"Figure it out."

And she was gone. This bitch was going to train me? Yeah fucking right. She was going to throw me to the wolves and leave me to die. I couldn't fathom how Yusuke wanted to be here—or was he forced into her training regime too?

A crack snapped through the air and a sting—a brush of heat—scathed the heel of my foot. I jumped with a yelp, feeling the fiery pain spread. I turned to Miyuki, who held her purple whip.

"I'm going to be the easiest thing you face during your stays, so you better get in shape quick."

Just kill me, please.

I spent the first half hour barely dodging Miyuki's whip. The first fifteen of those minutes included the fresh sting of heat on various parts of my body. I tried to follow Genkai's orders, to use my ki. But I was out.

I didn't know what the hell she wanted from me! I couldn't use what I didn't have.

I could let it glow around my hand but anything more than that and it fizzed out. Hell, it even gave me a little sizzle of purple smoke to emphasize: _"There's none left today, you stupid bitch! STOP."_

"Don't put your thumb inside your fist," Miyuki ordered, side-stepping my sucker punch to her face. "You could break your fingers that way."

Miyuki littered little tips and pointers throughout our "skirmish", if you could even call it that. It was more "Aiko runs around and gets fried with the occasional hit and miss." She was slowly, but surely, prying the anger-fueled fight from me and replacing it with some talent.

Every time I copied something she did without her whip, she'd give me pointers until I got it right.

I lifted my leg, glad she was too close to me to use her whip without brushing herself, and she lifted her arms to protect her face. "Keep that one planted firm on the ground—back straight."

Three kicks in place—face, torso, groin—she blocked them all.

"You're a fast learner but Genkai's going to be mad if you don't find a way to use your ki."

"This—" I let my ki engulf my hand again and let Miyuki watch it fizz out as I tried to extend it for the umpteenth time. "Is all I can do. I can only let it sit on my hand."

"Then make use of it," she replied, with a hint of sternness.

Thoroughly irritated and tired of having my ass handed to me, I acted without thinking. She was close enough to wrap my foot around her ankle—I yanked her off her feet. If I didn't act now, she'd jump out of the way.

And she started to. I reached my engulfed hand out to swipe her—just graze her—but I could only grab her ankle.

She let out a scream, taking me by surprise, and pivoted in the air.

A heavy, sharp pain in my head surfaced before I knew it, and then my shoulder, back… I rolled to a stop across the dojo, holding my head in pain. She damn near kicked my head in…

No wonder Yusuke was so stupid. If I spent all my months getting my head kicked in I'd be pretty dense too.

Eyes tearing up from the pain, I looked across the dojo to Miyuki, who was crouching on the floor, holding her ankle.

"What?" I called to her, sitting upright and holding my head as I became dizzy. "I only grabbed your ankle."

When she didn't reply, merely removing her hands to look at her ankle, I pulled myself up to see her. I was cautious in my walk—this wounded puppy shit wouldn't work on me.

It wasn't until I stopped in front of her that I realized what I'd done—I _burned_ her.

"Shit," she seethed. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I didn't know I…" I stopped, watching her stand up and look down at her ankle. "I thought I couldn't use my ki?"

"Even when it's sitting on your hand, it's hot," she noted. She lifted her ankle slightly and turned it around to see the large, darkened band of blisters from my grip etched into her grey skin. "Yukina's going to have a hard time fixing this one, I bet. I hope she can, my skin was so perfect too." She sucked her teeth and then sighed. "At least we found out what you can do if you run out."

I frowned. "I don't get it, how can it do that if I'm out?"

"It's sitting on your hand, you're not expending it," Miyuki explained. She took a hairband from her wrist and tied her purple locks into a high pony tail. "Like my whip—I expend enough to make the whip. I still have some in reserve. So long as I keep it stationary like that, I'm not expending any other ki."

"So as long as I keep it on my hand, I'm not wasting it? But when I touch something…"

"You waste much less by touching something than you do by expending it," she replied and walked a few feet away from me. "Now that we've found a way for you to use it conservatively, let's focus on that."

I sighed, hanging my head back. I wanted to rest.

But with the soft footsteps running towards me, I knew I wouldn't—I wouldn't sleep so long as I was here.

And I was right, seeing as how Genkai threw me into the woods at roughly three in the morning. I was chow for low level youkai that shouldn't have been weak enough to get through the barrier.

_"Don't kill any unless necessary," Genkai said, standing next to me on the soft cliff. Or a steep hill, I guess, who the fuck knew at this point. I didn't know anything anymore._

_What was my name again?_

_I looked out over the forest below, taking in the stars in the open sky. It was something I never got to see out in the city or the suburbs. Stars farther away from the moon had the milky trails around them. It was something out of a movie, beautiful and serene. A starry night sky above the woodlands below and the ocean in the distance, reflecting the stars, glowing._

_I wished I could appreciate the view more._

_"Kill what?" I asked tiredly, pulling off my already torn to shreds, blood and sweat soaked camisole and dropping it at my feet._

_"The youkai." Her hand smacked into my back and pushed me off the cliff. In all my painful, tumbling confusion down the dirty, grass-patched hill, I could hear her words faintly. "I'll send Miyuki for you whenever I feel like it. Leave the forest and you'll wish you hadn't."_

The lowest classes of youkai stopped following me after I burned their alpha's face. The breed was some hideous cross between a monkey and a giant dog and good fucking _god_ were they ugly. I didn't feel bad about hurting it because I didn't go searching for trouble—I didn't need to. My smell, my aura, attracted them. I had no reason to feel sorry for defending myself in here.

I wasn't the hunter; I was never meant to be. I was the prey.

Sunlight filtered through the green leaves above, and cast shadows along the trunks and grass. I leaned against the trunk of a tree, breathing staggered. I looked over my shoulder, past the bark, and looked for the higher levels.

I figured the ones I had just dealt with stopped following me after I handled the first three they sent after me. Either those big, weird, bug-bats were the strongest (doubt it) or the pack didn't see me as worth the fight.

Either way, I didn't care. I survived. I fought and won. Genkai couldn't fail me on this.

Gripping my bicep, I tried to stop the blood flow. It wasn't my only injury but it was the worst. A nice gash trailed around my arm from their creepy, shark-like teeth.

Closing my eyes, I was careful not to fall asleep. I stayed alert as I rested my eyes—at least, tried to. There were footsteps coming from behind me. Not the same ones from the earlier youkai.

New ones?

Staying hidden behind the tree, I braced myself. I couldn't feel any youki but who knew what was in these woods—hell, maybe the youkai was repressing it. Didn't feel plausible. Most of the lower level youkai I came in contact with so far were stupid as hell and loved boasting their ki around in intimidation.

To be honest, it was intimidating. Not at first, seeing as how I thought there was no way Genkai would send me in here with the intention of letting me get mauled. It was when those ugly monkey-dogs jumped me and almost took off my arm that I realized I _should_ be intimidated. I was on my own out here and I had to defend myself because she had _no_ intention of saving me.

I was cautious as I let my ki surround my hand and waited for the footfalls to come nearer. I slowed my breathing, tried to be quiet, and waited. But then I felt it—it wasn't youki. It was reiki.

Wasn't Miyuki—sure as hell wasn't Genkai. She'd mask herself and then swoop down from the branches and maul my ass.

With one deep breath, I called out. "Maya?"

The footsteps stopped and I heard a familiar sigh. "Aiko?"

I came out from around the trunk to see a dusty, dirty teenage girl looking just as ragged and tired as me.

"She's putting you through hell too?" she asked and I nodded.

"Every weekend from now on, I guess."

Maya nodded tiredly and looked around the woods. "Figured I'd take some time for myself before I went back. God knows she knows I'm doing this though. I'll be in for a hell of an ass whooping when I get back."

I shrugged, unable to feel the pain in my arm anymore. "It's all hell anyway."

"Yeah," Maya sighed and then looked at my chest. "Nice bra."

"Thanks." I looked down, forgetting that I was half naked. "I got it at that little outlet on fourth."

"Black's a good choice. The lace is cute… you shouldn't wear nice things here."

"Yeah, I know that now."

We stared at each other in our tired dazes, not really paying attention to each other. By the time I snapped out of my haze, I worried another hour passed because the lighting was a touch different in the woods.

I looked around the forestry, feeling for youkai hiding in the trees and bushes around us. None, thankfully.

"Are you sure you're glad you signed up for this?" I asked, clearing my throat.

Maya followed my gaze and let her eyes settle on a bush as she smiled. "Yeah. You?"

I blinked, brain shutting off. I didn't have to think about it. "I know I'll be glad I did this when I need to use everything. But right now…"

Maya nodded. "Right now you hate your life."

"Yeah."

A soft wave of youki flourished around us and we cast each other a suspicious glance.

"See you back there?" Maya asked, and I gave her a silent nod.

The crack of the whip whistled through the air and we jumped out of the way, sprinting off into different directions. Jumping through the greenery surrounding me, I kept alert for my enemies. Alert enough to send me into delusions.

I couldn't tell my heartbeat from footsteps. Tunnel vision was beginning to teach me how to focus acutely since my life depended on it. My legs were heavy… heavier.

Why wasn't I moving? I was telling my legs to move. Why isn't the greenery changing?

I dropped to the ground—now given a close-up of the grass. I couldn't move… I didn't want to move. Miyuki would win this one.

But I liked Miyuki a lot. She was considerate and seemed to care for me and Maya. She carried me back to the compound when I passed out in the forest. I could smell her, feel her, as she picked me up from the grass as I was blacking out.

I awoke on the dojo floor next to Maya, who was sitting next to me with the girl I met at the bus stop—Yukina. Yukina's icy blue ki surrounded Maya's bruised arm. I could see the discolored skin returning to its normal, olive tone under the bright blue.

"I forgot you don't like to eat." Genkai's voice came from above me, and I looked over my shoulder. She stood outside the room, sun shining on her back. "Since you like to starve yourself, I'm having Miyuki fix you up some food before we begin."

She was shitting me—we hadn't begun? What the fuck was that trial in the woods then?!

"Don't give me that look," she replied. "Eat and be ready in twenty."

I heaved myself up with a groan, sitting upright. "Whatever… at least I passed that stupid trial, right?"

"No."

I whipped my head around so fast I gave myself whiplash.

_"What?!"_ I screamed in anger as much as I did in pain. "I fucking survived out there until Miyuki came after me. I failed because of that?"

"No, you failed because all you did was wander around and avoid trouble."

"Then what the fuck did you want from me?" I griped.

"You never know," Maya sighed her complaint.

"Establish yourself, make use of your surroundings, be competent. Instead of just wandering around and playing hide and go seek. You should have been mapping out your surroundings and figuring where you were most likely to survive."

"Fuck this shit," I mumbled, turning back around. "I did a good job."

"You two seem to like to sleep at night," Genkai responded, and I waited until I figured she was gone to even bother making another sound. Maya did first.

"Miyuki carried you back when you passed out," Maya said, and just as I looked to my numb arm in confusion, she added. "Yukina healed your wounds."

I looked down at myself—my torn jeans and bare torso—finding not a scratch on me.

"Thank you." I gave a weak smile to the pretty girl, and she returned the gesture.

"No problem at all," she replied, her voice as sweet as flavored, crushed ice. "I've been making Maya some clothing to wear here, seeing as how she'll run out of clothes soon. If you wouldn't mind letting me get your measurements, I'll make you some too."

"That'd be… nice," I sighed with a smile. "I can't keep having my clothes torn. My parents will get suspicious."

"I figured as much when Genkai told me about your home life." Yukina's smile dropped when she noticed my scowl—my entire change in attitude. She gave a nervous laugh. "I'll go… bring your food."

Hardly upset over running her off, I rested my elbows on my knees and held my head in my hands. Everyone thought my dad abused me_—great._

"What day is it?" I sighed, glancing to Maya, who shrugged and shook her head.

"You're asking the wrong person. I don't even know what month it is."

"Saturday afternoon. Still April." Genkai's voice came from behind me and I didn't bother to repress the groan that shot out my throat.

"What now?" I grumbled, looking over my shoulder towards the open shoji doors.

Hands behind her back, she surprised me once again. I thought she left.

"Until I can leave you alone knowing you won't pass out, Maya will train with you."

I sent a devious smirk to Maya, who returned it with glee.

Hell yeah. Stick us together, old bitch. We'd have a blast. There was a reason we weren't allowed to sit next to each other in cram school.

"And since you're both roughly at the same level, physically, it'll be easy to put you two together."

"We'll be unstoppable." Maya grinned to me.

"A duo to fear." I lifted my chin up to Genkai, who was far from amused. "I'll be the dragon that carries you over the compound."

"And I'll rain the terror of my electric ki upon its dwellers!" Maya cackled extra obnoxious to grind Genkai's gears.

She turned on her heels to leave. "I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be dumber than Yusuke, but the two of you together have proved me wrong."

"We'll slay everything in our path!" Maya cackled after Genkai as she walked away. "Those who oppose our reign will perish!"

Yukina walked in, carrying two trays with bowls of rice and plates of fish.

"Before you start, I'd like to get your measurements, Aiko," Yukina said, handing a tray to Maya and setting mine in front of me. She dug in her kimono sleeve and produced a cloth measuring tape. "Arms at your side, please."

I figured I should take this moment to rest, knowing I was in for hell again once I finished eating. And boy, was I right.

* * *

**Kurama.**

"Thanks," she mumbled into my neck, warm breath seeping into the fabric and trickling onto my skin. "I can't feel my limbs."

I hoisted her up, tightening the grip under her knees to push her up again. She tried holding onto my neck but her small groan told me she couldn't manage. Bright and early this morning, I carried her to school.

"Genkai put you through her training methods, I take it," I said, glancing to her.

She lifted her head, showing no traces of make-up. The way she left that out of her morning routine told me Genkai put her through something serious.

"She's a slave driver, Kurama!" she cried. "A ruthless _slave driver_!"

"The results are noticeable," I reassured her. Her reiki was a tad higher in level than it was when she left last Friday.

"You know what she told me?" she groaned, resting her chin on my shoulder. "That often she'll starve her students but since '_I like to starve myself_' she's forcing me to eat instead. I don't even mind eating. I'm not fifteen anymore. What a fucking hag."

Ah, yes. Sixteen. The age eating disorders magically disappeared.

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" I asked. "Your parents should catch on soon."

"That's what I told her. She said Koenma's taking care of it." With some struggle, she wrapped her arms around my neck tighter. "What about you? What alibi do you have for your mom?"

A small gust of late April air passed us by, sending a shiver throughout her body and making her legs tremble in my arms.

"The botany club will be going on trips to cultivate gardens in the more rural areas around the prefecture."

"So… you'll be back often?"

"Yes."

She gave a heavy breath and pushed her face in the crevice of my neck and shoulder again. "I'm sure you'll want to stay there."

I didn't reply, reminding myself words didn't convince her.

"I'm doing community service per request from the _school board_," she griped. "Because I'm not in any clubs, I need to put something other than work on my applications."

"That's a solid alibi, to be honest," I reassured her. "So long as nobody talks to school officials."

"Yeah, I'll need to watch myself in school now. I need to make sure I don't give my dad a reason to call them," she sighed.

I stopped, finding we were a block from school. "Campus is coming up."

Carefully, I let go of her legs. She hit the ground with a grunt and I helped steady her.

"My legs hurt so much," she groaned, leaning on me as we began to walk. Her voice turned sincere. "I'm sorry; I know you don't want people to see you with me like this but I feel like I'll collapse any second."

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her words. "Seen with you like _this?"_

"You know… _on_ you. Like… hanging on you and shit…"

I repressed a smirk, a laugh catching in my throat. "I've had worse lovers in my days where I'd kill them before they could even utter my name and our ties to their cohorts."

Her walking slowed and her grip on my arm loosened. "How many… 'lovers' did you have?"

"Romantic or sexual?" I replied.

"…Both."

"Sexual." I thought back, trying to name who I could on one hand and found it quite difficult once I was able to remember names. "Let's just say 'quite a few.'"

She nodded.

"Romantic…" I mused. Now that was an interesting question. When had I ever been truly, romantically involved with someone? "If there was someone in my past, they were few and far between."

"Is that like a youkai thing?"

"No," I chuckled. "It was a criminal thing. I learned early on to not have anyone I cared for if I wanted to reach the status I held. It soon became instinctual to keep people away."

She nodded again as we approached Meiou's gates.

I was manipulative, but didn't want to tell her that. I didn't want her to think I was manipulating her.

"How can you do it?" she asked, genuinely wanting an answer. "Have sex, I mean. And not like, with all those people but like… at _all."_

I glanced down to her. If my brow wasn't raised before it was surely to my hairline now. "You mean, as a teenage girl, you've never thought about sex, or even having it, in your life?"

She shook her head and glanced up to me. "Not really. Even when I was younger, like you know how that one kid in class gets 'the talk' super early in their life and then blabs to the whole class? Even then… I didn't… care."

"You seem to like—" I taunted, and her face burned brighter than I'd ever seen before.

I saw something I'd never thought possible: she stuttered. "Th-hat's—shut _up_. That's different."

I laughed outright. "In some ways, it is."

"I'm just fine without it," she asserted, eyes closed and brows furrowed as her face continued to glow. "Maybe one day I'll want to try it, maybe I won't. Chances are a lot more likely for the latter." She looked up at me, frowning. "Is it _that_ weird to not be sexually attracted to people?"

I paused in my stride, looking down at her in realization. She kept her gaze on me and asked a question I immediately understood the connotation of.

"Is it weird to _you?"_ she clarified, thinking my surprise for confusion.

People passed us by. Some whispered about our proximity, others about how she had no makeup on, and few minded their own business.

There was a small flicker in her eyes, a fleeting glimmer of hope.

I smiled and nudged her to continue walking. "Of course not."

She smiled and trailed alongside me into school. When we reached homeroom, she asked me to hold her compact mirror to her face while she tried applying what little makeup she could.

She struggled with keeping the eyebrow pencil in her grip and leaned her elbow on the table. The pencil fell from her fingers and she let out a tearless sob of defeat.

"Please draw in my eyebrows," she groaned.

After stifling a laugh, I sat on her desk and told her to walk me through it. Cupping her chin in my hand, I followed her directions. They were simple enough she needed to only tell me them once.

When I finished lining the brows, I remembered what my mother told me to ask her earlier this morning. Since the night we returned from Mushiyori, my mother was far from fond of Aiko's father. She was between a rock and a hard place. She could either be rude and invite only Aiko to her wedding or invite her family and risk upsetting herself with his presence.

I told Mother I would find a way to talk to Aiko about it without being too obvious. But there was no reason for me to beat around the bush about this with her. As I began filling them in, she frowned.

"You're staring off in thought," she grumbled. "I need you to pay attention to _this,_ it's important. I assert my dominance over the girls in school by having the best fucking eyebrows."

"Mother was unsure what to do about your invitation to her wedding," I replied.

"Huh?"

I moved the brush away as her brows furrowed, narrowly escaping ruining her arch. I tilted her head up a tad, enjoying the fact I could make her stay quiet. I should offer to do her makeup more often.

"Don't talk," I said. "When you show emotions you wear them dramatically on your face and I could mess up your brows."

She refrained from sulking. Her brows twitched a bit but she controlled herself, letting all her emotion flow to her lips. They formed a dramatic, puckered scowl.

"Mother wants you to attend her wedding as a guest," I said, finishing her brows. I dug for her concealer and she told me where to apply it. "But she's unsure about inviting your father."

"She… What does she think about him?" she asked, closing her eyes as my ring finger dabbed color under them. Brows finished, she furrowed them. "She doesn't think he hits me too, right?"

"She doesn't know," I reassured. "She doesn't know what to think."

Classmates passed us by and entered the classroom. Whispers traveled around at the sight of me sitting on Aiko's desk, painting on her face. The two of us ignored them, Aiko especially. She didn't like people thinking her father abused her—even though he did. She justified his anger. Classic Stockholm Syndrome.

"She doesn't like him?" she asked.

I dabbed the color under her other eye, blending it with her skin tone. "She's worried about you."

"She doesn't like him."

"She doesn't know whether she should invite your entire family, or exclude your father," I said. Her head dropped and eyes lowered to the floor. "I fear if she invites him, his presence will upset her."

I pulled my hand from her face, making sure I blended the concealer. When I told her I did, she didn't tell me what to do next. I dug through her makeup bag and found her lipstick.

I tilted her head up again, pressing her cheeks gently to pucker her lips. The primer was first.

"If you want to attend and bring your father, it's fine," I said. "Mother will understand."

I chose a color I felt suited her best. A color I liked and one she wore often called Rose Comtesse. Just seconds later, I finished and pulled the worn stick from her lips.

"It's fine, we won't go," she said. "She doesn't need to invite me."

Twisting the stick back into its case, I looked down at her. "Are you sure? My mother would like you to come, she's just unsure about having your father there."

"It's fine, honest." She smiled. "Dad would be passive aggressive there anyway. He'd bring up snide remarks about how I made them waste a bunch of money before their wedding. It's better if we don't go. Speaking of which…" She nodded to her school bag and I sifted through it, finding an envelope. "That's the money I owe. Gas, food, ticket, tolls, stuff like that."

I opened the envelope, finding plenty of bills—more than enough money than what she owed.

"Make sure she takes it, okay?" she said. "You know she wouldn't accept it if I gave it to her."

"Where did you get this money?" I asked, counting the cash.

"Most of it's left over money from the Brawl I set up with Hirogawa and the rest is from my last paycheck," she replied. "Don't worry. I'm not selling drugs or anything. Trust me, if I had drugs to sell I would have paid Shiori back way faster." She then sighed. "I guess I should call Hirogawa and have him put me on. He's always in some shit so I'm sure he has something he wants to sell."

I cupped her chin again and tilted her head back. "The last thing you need to get yourself into right now is dealing drugs."

"Well, I need some kind of income," she replied, waiting for whatever makeup I pulled out of her bag. "I have to leave the grocery store because of Genkai's training."

"You're smarter than that. You'll find another way."

"No, I'm not. No, I won't."

I kept her face cradled in my hand, eyeing the lipstick's color. She waited for me to finish whatever makeup task was next. But she looked fine the way she was—she looked fine even before.

"Are you going to give me a paper to get the excess lipstick off or…?" she trailed off as I leaned in to her.

Lips centimeters from hers, I felt her face heating up, burning bright. I laughed. "No, I'm just reminding you that you like me—"

"Shut _up_," she whined, face tinting red again. She didn't deny it or ask me to back away.

* * *

**Aiko.**

I stumbled into the car atop Natsume, the two of us cackling. I planted my elbow in the leather seat and put the roach inches from my lips. Inhaling the burning herb, I held my breath and passed the rolled cigarette to Hayashi. Natsume and I crawled around each other until we were able to find suitable seats.

Exhaling smoke, Hayashi giggled at my difficulty sitting cramped in the seat.

Heels and variations between skirts, dresses, and leggings weren't well thought out. None of us could get into the front seat now that we were all stuck in the back. But we all had the same body parts so none of us seemed to mind the bunching of clothes and fabric riding up.

"The apartment, Miss Akane?" Sosuke asked, looking at us through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," she replied, and then shot up between the driver and passenger seat. "No! Wait, we need to stop at the dealers."

"What for?" Hayashi asked as Sosuke pulled into the empty road.

Fukui finished off the roach, staring into the dark city of Tohoku. The roads were asleep as it was one in the morning.

Natsume gripped Hayashi's arm, squeezing with excitement. "Mom got prescribed Klonopin!"

"Can we stop at one of the liquor stores before we go there?" Fukui asked, eyes still on the road.

"Eh, yeah, I guess," Natsume replied with a wave of her hand.

The dealers… Where had I heard that before? The dealers… It was something important…

Suzume!

_Suzume…_ I needed to pay attention to this. Get into the dealers and see what Natsume does, if she does anything other than pick up drugs.

Drugs. Klonopin. Haven't had that one yet. I missed the little white bars. Those were nice.

White.

White. Klonopin were yellow.

And then the car rolled to a stop, pushing me forward out of my scrunched seat since I didn't have the seat belt on. We managed to scramble out of the car and make it out on two feet each. I looked over the sea of parked cars in the lot, lit by the overhead lights.

"Are you guys coming with me or am I meeting you inside?" Fukui asked, looking over her shoulder as she crossed the empty street.

Natsume shrugged and Hayashi nodded. I trailed behind the girls across the street and around the corner to the little liquor store. Heels echoing on the cement pavement below, I relished the crisp, cool air and clear night. It was quiet, like we were the only ones alive in town.

I felt nice despite knowing what I was here for.

The empty liquor store was lit up, giving the street most of its color. Bells chimed when we entered and the college kid clerk peeked up from his magazine to take a look at us while we wandered the store.

I didn't have much in mind to buy so I browsed the little racks near the register in mild interest. I wanted to eat and everything looked particularly shiny and bright, enticing, appetizing. I could hate myself when I didn't feel so amazing.

I reached for one of the chocolate candy bars when I noticed something else.

Something red. Orange red.

My eyes dragged up to the little rack next to the boy's register where a bunch of keychains hung. I picked the little fox tail from its hanger and felt myself smiling. It wasn't his hair color—no, that'd be too convenient. But it reminded me of him all the same.

I looked to the rack again in curiosity and spun it around. I was nervous with the clerk watching me. I didn't want him to know I was in space even though I reeked.

As the little rack spun around I caught another item I liked.

"You sure you don't want them to match?" the clerk asked as he rung the two keychains up.

What? I had to stop digging in my purse for my wallet because I couldn't process his question and multitask. "Why would I want them to match?"

"Oh. Well, I figured you were getting it for a boyfriend. But it's common for girls to get different ones than their friends."

"Oh… No," I laughed what felt like a bit too hard. "In a way they're both for me… but I mean, yeah one's his but…"

He cut me off as I tried forming the sentence and told me the total. I forgot what I was even bothering him with and finally dug out the money. After the transaction he reached under the register and opened and closed a door.

I was so interested in watching him for some reason I didn't bother to move. He set a cold bottle of water in front of me.

"Wake you up a bit. Don't want to walk around town at this time of night that high."

I laughed, confused. "Yeah?"

Thoroughly entertained, the square-faced boy gave a confused smile. "…Yeah."

I paused, trying to rethink his sentence. "What time is Night That High?"

He looked at me dead on for a moment before howling in laughter. And though confused, I laughed too—because he was laughing. Something was funny. And god, did it feel great to laugh. To make someone laugh.

Oh. _Oh. Now_ I got it. I laughed again.

"Finally moving on from that red-headed freak?" Natsume's voice came from behind me and she shoved her way into my position. "It's about damn time."

I stopped laughing, wanting to say 'no' but not wanting to get into it with her. I needed to play along.

I needed to play along.

"You want your Cupids?" she asked, opening her own pack of cigarettes as the clerk rang her up. "I'm buying."

"No, it's fine," I said as I grabbed the water. "I'm trying to quit."

She stared at me with a slate face. "You're stoned."

A low laugh slipped out. "Yeah…"

Hayashi was next to pay, and Fukui was behind her. Natsume walked up to me and asked what I bought. She snatched the keychain from my hands.

"Are foxes even this color?" She squinted at the tail. "It's kind of… dim."

"I've never seen a fox before. Except on TV so I don't know."

She shoved it back in my hand as Hayashi walked past us with a canned drink. Fukui was next, walking out and lighting her cigarette.

I stared down at the fox's tail, wondering the color and whether it was even accurate. I saw them on TV but TV's always had their own color setting and each one was just a bit different depending on the brightness.

And then a thought hit me so hard I gasped and stopped in my tracks. Natsume turned around first.

"What?" she asked, cigarette still hanging between her lips. Her eyes were as wide and scared as mine.

"What if…" I stared down at the fox's tail. "What if the color _you_ see isn't the same color _I_ see?"

Natsume's expression dropped to one of confusion. "…What?"

"What color is this?" I asked, holding it up to her.

"I don't know. Like some kind of orange-red."

"Yeah but… what if the color _you_ call 'orange-red' isn't the same color _I_ call 'orange-red.'"

An exasperated mumble of "Jesus Christ…" came from Fukui in the distance.

Natsume was just as stunned as I was though, and she stared at the keychain in awe.

"But… like, that's red, you know?" she tried.

"Yeah, but how can you describe a color without using _the color_," I stressed. It was at this point Hayashi was pushing us along. "How do we know the same color red that I see isn't the same color red you see?"

"Holy shit…" Natsume held her forehead and took out her cigarette, as she gasped in awe. "_Holy shit_."

"If we don't even see colors the same…" I was having an existential epiphany that felt more like a crisis. "How do we know what we really look like? What if we don't look the same as ourselves?"

"Aiko, why don't you drink some of that cold water the clerk gave you," Hayashi offered, patting my shoulder.

"Oh… Oh yeah." We were getting to the dealers. I did need to be coherent and pay attention for this.

I wasn't planning on heading to the dealers tonight. It was just supposed to be a little "hang out." The bottle's cap snapped open with a curt twist and the coldness running down my throat chest made me feel just that little bit more awake.

The existential epiphany Natsume and I had was gone just like any other thought that passed through our heads minutes before. We walked through the sea of cars in the lot until we reached the main entrance to the glass-walled dealership.

Natsume dug for her keys and let us in.

And as I stepped into the dark dealership, it hit me. The emptiness.

I paused in my stride, unnerved. I looked around, confused. Some model cars. A fake plant here and there. Some desks, doors, and offices.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Why did it feel different? Why did I feel like I entered some sort of… some sort of…

"Mom?" Natsume called, her words echoing throughout the building, bouncing off the walls and floor. _"Mooooom?"_

Void. A void.

There was nothing here but us. I looked around to the group of girls.

"She must be in her office," Hayashi offered.

I looked back for Fukui to find her grinding her cigarette into the cement outside the main entrance.

There was… there was nothing else out of the ordinary. Why…? What was missing?

"Come on, Aiko," Natsume said, wrapping her hand around my forearm and tugging me along. "Let's formally introduce you to mommy dearest."

Her grip on my forearm was soft but noticeable. It was heavier than normal, but I knew she wasn't holding on with more strength than she normally would.

When Fukui passed us by, I started walking and Nastume let go of my arm. I rubbed my forearm, feeling her subtle imprint on my skin as our heels echoed across the open floor.

_Imprint._

I stopped and looked around, understanding why things were off. There was no ki. There was no ki in the air.

Everywhere at any given moment was an imprint of someone's lingering ki. Something they carry with them; their essence. It gently flowed through them and lingered in places, trailing behind them as they traveled through their day. Everywhere in the world. Every nook and cranny in this realm was a shred of someone's ki mixed in with everyone else's.

It's a noticeable weight, nothing serious or distinguishable, but there. Tangible. A soft film in the world; light as a breeze's brush.

But there was none here. It was empty.

It was void.

"Mom!" Natsume called again. _"Moooooom!"_

She began jogging, heels clacking, and then Hayashi's heels and mine joined her as the brunette dragged me along. I could hear Fukui's behind me, at a much slower pace.

"Akane, _honestly."_ The familiar voice groaned from around the corner in the back.

Her mother, Haruko, stepped out from her office, hands on her hips. Trademark blazer and pencil skirt with matching heels. The woman looked much older than I remembered. Her once lifted face had a tad more noticeable smile lines. Even the best concealer on the market couldn't save the bags under her eyes. But even with her stress noticeable, she still looked great for her age.

Natsume definitely took after her father more. Her mother had a soft face, much rounder with higher cheekbones. Almond shaped eyes with high-arched brows and full lashes. Black hair cut into a sharp bob above her shoulders. Natsume had a harsher jawline, taken from her father; with wide eyes, long lashes, and flat brows with a small arch. Brown hair, naturally tousled about like her father's.

Isao took after their mother.

She placed her hands on her hips and sent her daughter an exasperated glare before noticing me.

"Why did you bring your friend, Akane?" she asked, still looking at me.

"We're just here to pick up some klonopin," Natsume replied. "I know better than to bring people when you're working."

Her mother heaved a sigh and stared at her daughter in disbelief.

"What? She knows we're Barrier Reg, mom," Natsume replied. "Besides, I thought you'd want to meet her formally. You two should know each other, especially if I'm giving her another chance."

"Oh, right." Her mother turned back to me. _"You're_ the girl Akane was talking about back in Meiou."

At a loss for words, I just gave a smile and tried to look sober. Really, we never talked. If we were ever in the same room, we were in the living room and she was popping her pills and heading out the door.

I had a feeling she never once noticed me.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Natsume," I said, giving a small bow. "My name is Hojo, Aiko."

"Ugh, Mrs. Natsume was my mother," she said flippantly, waving her hand. "Call me Haruko."

I nodded and she turned to Hayashi and Fukui with a tender smile. "Ami, Hitomi, how are you girls? University going well?"

Natsume had already slipped by her mother and made her way into the office. Drawers opened and closed until she found the one that held prescription bottles.

"It's just fine," Fukui replied, plastering on a sweet smile.

"It's so much fun!" Hayashi smiled.

"And Aiko," Haruko said, turning back to me. "You're still in Meiou, right?"

I nodded.

"Found it!" Natsume sang from the office. She was in the background waving around a large pill bottle.

"I thought Akane wasn't bothering with you anymore." Haruko cocked her head to the side, her red lipstick smile splitting open. "You loved those critters too much for her liking."

… Critters?

"I… I don't like bugs," I reassured her with a confused shake of my head.

She cackled like her daughter. "No, honey. I mean the vermin that walk around the cesspool Makai."

"Youkai?"

With an entertained smirk and another sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest and called over her shoulder. "Akane, is there a reason you're _still_ entertaining the poor girl? She still sees them as something other than—"

Entertain me?

"Fucking scum?" Natsume appeared behind her mother, walking out the office. "I know, I keep trying but I don't know how much longer I can try. She's been showing progress though."

Entertain me… Why did that sound so familiar?

"Maybe if she saw the trash I had to file and approve or deny," Haruko cooed, cupping my chin and shaking it gently. Her fingers dug into my cheeks, puckering my lips. "She'd wake up. But…" Her grip loosened and then her hand fell to her side. "It's been how long, Akane? Give it up. Don't bring her back here."

_Shit._

"I'm giving her one last chance," Natsume said, resting her hand around my neck. Her skin was soft upon mine, gliding over my collar bone and resting on my shoulder. "You said you hated the detective, right?"

I tried playing in; coached myself to not sound desperate to save face. "Because he chose Makai over me."

Natsume gave a sweet smile and looked over her shoulder to her mother. "Can I show her some of the nasty files of some of the illegals we caught?"

Haruko puckered her lips in thought. "You can pick the ones that were public throughout Reikai."

Natsume's grip on my shoulder tightened, and she guided me into her mother's office. Haruko's irritated, yet still laced with pride, words mumbled to Hayashi.

"Akane gets her sight set on one thing and you just can't pry her from it."

The office was dimly lit; the same black tiled, suave color scheme the open floor held. Fake plants perched in the corners of the room and scenic paintings hung from the wall. Behind the desk was a large mirror, giving the illusion of a bigger room.

Natsume's grip loosened and her hand slid from my shoulder. She made her way around the desk and dug through a drawer before pulling out a few files.

"I told you I'd show you the truth. Here's a taste." With a jubilant smile, she beckoned me over. "Come see what everyone's neglected to tell you. What your precious youkais neglected to tell you about themselves."

Mind racing, I managed to work my legs. I stopped next to her and looked down at the open file.

"These were Sensui's cases," she said, picking up one in particular. The paper held a mugshot of a beastly youkai; scaly, many protruding horns, and an unnatural color of burgundy. "When barrier laws were much more lenient."

I scanned the file, noticing the charges pressed against him. Murder.

Specifically, the consumption of human flesh.

I remembered Goki, memories of his head exploding returning clear as day. The way his muscles tore apart…

I knew he ate souls but I… I thought it was just him… An isolated incident. _Souls._ Sure, there had to be more youkai like him but… _Human flesh_.

My grip on the paper tightened, crinkling the sheet. Natsume leaned over my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me.

"They all eat humans. We're their food source and yet we still let some through… just because a few haven't eaten any of us yet?" she whispered, warm breath tickling my ear. "Just because they don't have a record?"

Kurama didn't eat people.

"Yusuke doesn't eat people. Not even now," I replied, setting that file down and looking at the next.

"Yeah, you want to know what he said?" she asked, not bothering to wait for my reply. "He went to talk to Sanada Kuroko, the first detective. He said he didn't see a problem why youkai couldn't eat _evil_ people."

No, Yusuke would never say that. Yusuke wouldn't say it was okay to eat _anyone._

"Youkai are all the same. It's in their blood, their nature. They're born to live off us."

Kurama would never do that either.

Just because some ate humans, didn't mean they all did... right?

"They come into our realm…" She guided my hand that was holding a new file and set it down. She picked up another file of a youkai more humane, less monstrous. Same crime. "They eat us, rape us, and we're supposed to look the other way for the few that aren't like them?"

They weren't all like that. Stereotyping… Not all them ate us. Yukina didn't. Miyuki didn't. Kurama didn't. For all I knew, that Shrimp-dick didn't either.

"Underneath it all, they're just savages. Every last one of them."

She put that file down, and then picked up another with the same crime again.

"But…" My voice trembled, wondering if I should even speak. "Chapter Black… What made Sensui snap… You said it yourself. The Dark Tournament sells youkai women."

"Put up for sale by _their own kind_," she reassured me. "As for the tape… After everything we, as a race, have endured against youkai for millennia, our anger was just. That's why it's defamation. That's why Koenma _destroyed it_."

Defamation…

I had to address this problem to Koenma—youkai eating humans. But that wasn't my job, that wasn't what I was here for. It was an issue and I would bring it up to Koenma but… I couldn't lose sight of why I was here. I couldn't...

I turned to meet Natsume, her face was stoic, calm, but her eyes were alight with excitement.

But all I could ask was one thing. "You've always wanted to show me this, haven't you?" She nodded, a small smile growing on her lips. "But why?"

She looked to the mirror next to us, and my eyes followed. We stood next to each other. Hair disheveled from dancing all night, and makeup smudged a tad. Fukui, Hayashi, and Haruko reflections stood in the doorway. They were all waiting patiently for Natsume's answer as well.

"Why after all this time?" I asked, lips barely moving in the mirror. "After every time I didn't listen?"

I knew I would have to please her to regain her trust but… I never thought I'd have to sink _this_ low. Pacifying her, saying hurtful things about youkai… This was a deeper level of hatred.

I was on the outskirts of regaining her trust. It would take a lot to have her trust me. A lot… of this hatred. I knew I would have to pretend, but I was going to spend a lot more time pretending than I'd planned.

Her gaze stayed on the mirror, sizing up us both. Her eyes traveled from our stiletto pumps to our sequin halter tops. She pulled me closer to her, resting her cheek on my head as we looked into the mirror, like an older sister would hold her younger.

She smiled. "Because there's something about you that reminds me of myself."

I vomited a little in my mouth.

* * *

**Natsume.**

I was counting down the days to graduation and we were only two days into third year. God, I couldn't wait to get out of this shit hole. I didn't even bother eating the nasty cafeteria food—their bread was disgusting. I could get something better for about two hundred yen from some sloppy vender on the street. *****

"Oi, Akane!" A firm hand grabbed my shoulder and squeezed, and I found Yuji behind me bearing a smile.

He and Keisuke sat at the desks around us, and Keisuke ruffled his black hair as he leaned towards Hitomi with a lecherous grin. Hitomi fed into it immediately.

"What brings you two to our neck of the woods?" I asked, leaning against the desk. Yuji, from class three-B, mirrored me, resting his elbows on my desk.

"Wanted to see my favorite classmates. That new lipstick? It suits you."

"_Rouge Idole_," I replied, puckering my lips to flirt.

Hitomi's giggling drew our attention to the two.

"Geez, Keisuke, you moved on pretty fast." Yuji smirked to his friend, and Hitomi's pretty face dropped to one of the nastiest mugs I'd ever seen.

"The fuck does that mean?"

Yuji laughed. "He was hitting on this first year girl not even fifteen minutes ago. She twisted his nipples after he didn't listen to her third rejection."

"It still hurts." Keisuke laughed, laying the side of his torso on the desk and rubbing Hitomi's blazer sleeve. "Make it better, _'Tomi_. ~"

"She twisted his nipples?!" I cackled, leaning back in my chair.

"That's pretty violent. Is it this the same girl who broke Manaba's ring finger?" Ami asked, holding up the octopus shaped sausage between her chopsticks. "When he patted her on the shoulder? I've heard about her."

"Yeah, that one," Yuji snickered. "She's a straight up bitch, dude. Nosy as hell, too. She's friends with you until you touch her, then she fucking turns on you."

"I wouldn't want Keisuke's scummy ass touching me either, I can tell you that." I was still laughing but I could still hear Keisuke's whine of "hey, I'm cute!"

"Is this… Is this the same girl who was smoking with Asami from class two-C on the roof?" Hitomi asked. She was talking to Asami? Asami was just one step below me in the pathetic, godforsaken social ladder that was Meiou High. "And then she was talking to Miyama, I think…"

Ami and I glanced to each other, and I looked back to Hitomi as Ami replied. "I… I think that is her."

"Brown hair, headband, and pretty, big eyes?" Yuji double-checked.

"Yeah, they're a sort of amber. A light brown."

"Yup. I forget her name."

"Hojo," Keisuke chimed in, and Ami frowned in confusion. "Hojo, Aiko."

"Yeah. She was talking to Asami, I remember that." Yuji nodded. "She got Asami to gossip."

I looked to Ami, a bit dumbfounded. Someone else got Asami to spill the beans about other students?

"That name sounds familiar," Ami mumbled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest in thought. "Where have I heard the name Hojo?"

"You have to be pretty… _interesting_ to make Asami gossip," I said, doubt laced between each word.

"That's why Hojo's hair is so big: it's full of secrets." Keisuke grinned, whispering.

"Her hair isn't big," Hitomi sighed. "It's long. There's a difference."

Yuji shrugged. "All I know is she'll come crawling to you all next if she's been talking to Asami. It's like she's trying to climb up the food chain here."

Keisuke grunted. "Won't get far if she can't put out."

Hm… "I want to meet her."

I felt myself smiling in excitement and looked to Ami, who was pretty indignant about the whole thing. She played a nice smile to feign interest, encouraging me.

"What class is she in?" I asked Yuji, who turned to Keisuke.

Keisuke looked up to us and then at the ceiling in thought. "Uh… When I was bothering her, she was in one-D."

I stood up. "Brown, long hair, headband, big eyes. Resting bitch face?"

"Yup. A resting bored, bitch face," Yuji replied and stood up. "I want to go too. See what she says to you."

"Keisuke, come with us," I called over my shoulder as Ami and Hitomi trailed after me. "I may need someone to set her off again."

"She said next time I touched her she'd crush my sack," he whined despite following us. "And I know she'll do it, too."

Making my way to the first year's floor, I peeked into each classroom in search of the little upcoming bitch.

"There she is." Yuji nudged me with his elbow and nodded to the corner of the room. She sat in the second column from the window, three seats in. "That's her."

She was skinny—had one of those high-end fashion model bodies. It was sad because I could tell she starved herself to look like that. I could see it in her neck, the way her skin clung to her. It was sad but she looked _great_. She knew how to do her make-up, too. I couldn't help but think if some scout for an agency saw her on the street they'd offer her an audition right away. She already had the industry's eating habits so it'd be no problem for her.

She was flipping through a magazine, no lunch. Only a large, personal water bottle with condensation dripping on the desk.

"Akane?" Ami's voice pulled my eyes away from the girl.

"Huh?"

"What will you say to her?"

I looked back at the girl and only one question came to mind. I stepped into the classroom, and Hitomi and Ami exchanged a brief look before following me. Stopping in front of the desk, she didn't even bother looking up from her magazine.

She flipped to another page and I glanced at the personal water bottle, finding it filled with ice and lemon slices.

I leaned over and slapped my hand on the desk, waiting for her to look up at me. She didn't. She flipped to another page. I continued to lean on the desk, waiting impatiently.

"I've heard a lot about you," I finally spoke. "Who do you think you are?"

She breathed a soft laugh, a rude smile playing on her lips. She looked up at me with a smirk that said she didn't think she was anyone. She knew who she was.

"Hojo, Aiko," she responded before turning back to her magazine.

I liked her vibe, the self-loathing was palpable but there was something else I liked. I couldn't pin my finger on it. "Heard you gave Keisuke a purple nurple."

"Told him not to touch me," she replied, void of emotion. "He didn't listen."

She didn't have emotion but there was something in her words, a spark. The tone was bland, tired, but the words themselves… They sparked with anger and, most of all, pride.

"And the guy's finger you broke?"

"Told him not to touch me," she said again. "Didn't listen."

I cocked my head to the side, curious. "Who else have you assaulted?"

"What's it to you?" she asked, flipping to the next page. "None of them were your boy toys."

She'd been digging up dirt on me, huh? I couldn't help but smile.

I shrugged, finding myself having taken a direction I didn't expect. I liked it. "You seem to not care about hurting people who were just trying to be friends with you."

She looked up to me again, eyes filled with a sort of apathy I was all too familiar with. "They don't listen to me. They feel entitled. I have no sympathy." She glanced to the door and then back down at her magazine. "And tell him if he steps foot in this room I'll lynch him by his sack from the school roof's fence. Are we done?"

There was something about her I liked. I couldn't place it. She was so familiar to me, like I knew her from somewhere. But I'd never seen her a day in my life.

"Natsume, Akane," I said, piquing her interest. She glanced up to me and a filled in brow rose. "Blonde's Hayashi, Ami." I pointed to each of my girls. "She's Fukui, Hitomi."

She eyed us, not bothering to introduce herself to them in return. She held this air around her that I wanted to expand. I wanted to see if it could grow. She could be so much more if she was capable. I wanted to see if she was.

If she was capable… She would have the drive.

But how could I expand it to such great lengths without exposing her to it?

I pushed myself off the desk, standing upright. "The three of us are ditching sixth hour to go to the outlets down on twelfth for mani-pedis. You down?"

Maybe if she could survive _me_, she could survive _it_.

"Not really," she replied, picking up her thick plastic bottle and popping the cap off.

I stared down at her as she drank from the bottle, ice and lemon slices bouncing around inside. "My treat."

Lips still wrapped around the mouth piece, I could have sworn I saw their corners tug upwards. But once she pulled it away and set it on the desk, it'd disappeared.

"Sure." She popped the cap back on and closed her magazine, putting it in her school bag. She walked past us with her bag in tow towards the sliding door. "I'll meet you at the gate."

Keisuke and Yuji scrambled away from the door to steer clear from her, and I watched as she left into the hallway.

"You felt that, right, Akane?" Ami whispered when she was out of sight.

I nodded. "She has reiki."

"How much do you think she knows?" Hitomi asked, head cocking to the side in thought.

"I don't know." My arms crossed over my chest. "But I want to find out. She feels so capable…"

Hitomi was almost offended at the thought. "You don't mean you want to—"

"I just want to see how this plays out," I reassured her harshly. "If things fall into place, she'd be perfect. She could help. She would have the drive. She has this… she _doesn't care_."

"Let things fall where they may," Ami said, placing a hand on my arm. "Don't push anything."

"I won't," I reassured Ami. "And even if she isn't fit for it, we'll at least have some entertainment."

"I can't believe you're actually considering dragging her into this," Hitomi mumbled. "She's just some random girl with a little bit more reiki than the rest of us. She's not special."

"Can it, Hitomi," I grumbled. "You just have to trust me on this. I just want to see what happens—_if_ anything happens. For all we know, we'll just have another girl to talk shit with."

"Just let things happen the way they happen, Akane," Ami said, giving my arm a squeeze. "You know we can't tell people about Reikai."

I sighed and nodded. I looked at the empty doorway, thinking about her aura. I always wondered why she seemed so familiar to me in that moment.

* * *

**A/N:**

***** ¥200 is about $1.50 and £1.10.

Ouch. No reviews last chapter. Oh well.


	14. Dangerous Animals

**Maya.**

I sunk into the tub's warm water, thankful to finally wash up. I couldn't feel my limbs and the water was perfect to soothe them. With a tired sigh, I sunk even deeper into the water and closed my eyes. As the water swayed slowly under my nose, caressing the bottom half of my face, I heard the sliding door to the wash room open.

"Ah. Sorry, Maya." Miyuki's voice carried from the wash room. "I didn't know you were in here still. Are you going to take much longer?"

"To be honest…" Too tired to push myself upright, I lifted my head up. "Yeah. You can join if you want. I may fall asleep in here and that won't be fair."

There was a long pause before Miyuki replied. "…Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't care."

I'd been running around the forest and compound practically half naked anyway. Genkai's training tore my clothes to shreds.

"…Alright." Her voice was soft, quiet and unsure.

I leaned back in the large tub, taking another deep breath and relishing the near scalding water.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew Miyuki was sitting across from me in the tub, wet hair pinned up.

"You like your water hotter than hell," Miyuki sighed, leaning back.

"Sorry, I can't bathe any other way," I laughed. "At home we just have a shower and I may come out red afterwards but it's the only way to wash myself."

Miyuki just stared at me for a moment, making me a bit uneasy. I couldn't fathom what kind of look she was giving me because it was all so… mixed.

Finally, after a bout of awkward silence, she spoke. "I'm guessing you invited me in to make me feel comfortable."

The words took a minute to click and I all but shot out the water. I sat upright quickly. "Oh, no! No! That's not why at all. I just… I don't mind." Miyuki's look turned skeptical, a bit confused, and, dare I say, sad. I didn't want her to feel that way. "Honest. I don't mind. I had to change in front of girls all the time for gym class so I'm kind of used to it."

Miyuki's lips puckered for a moment and then she sunk lower into the water. We sat in silence as I racked my brain for conversations. Something to show her that wasn't what this was about. Her voice pulled me out of my frantic thinking in surprise.

"A criminal hired the triad I was part of," she said, and I leaned forward, bringing my knees to my chest to listen to her story. "We would receive half of the payment up front to be their body guards. After our contract ended we would receive the rest of the payment."

"How much did you get?" I asked.

She stared at me for a minute, face draining of emotion. "Instead of money, I asked for my payment to be reconstructive surgery."

"Oh..."

"As you noticed, I received the first payment but not the second."

Oh…?

"Oh…" It dawned on me. "Why not? Did he swindle you?"

"I didn't hold up my end of the contract. I failed to protect him," she replied. "I feel it's a suitable turn of events, considering."

"Considering what?"

"He was a man who sought money—a lot of it. He had plenty but wanted more. So he would use others to make money."

The first thing that came to mind flew out my mouth in a gasp. "Sex trafficking?"

"No. At least, not when I was working for him. He had his sight set on the ice maidens." I didn't know what or who they were, so I couldn't respond. With a wash of shame overcoming her features, she filled me in. "They're youkai. Their tears solidify into gems that sell for a nice amount. If he could find a maiden and make her shed tears, he would be rich. And he found one."

I was already stunned by the fact she participated in that, but what she said next might as well have knocked me on my ass.

"He found Yukina."

Jaw dropped. I didn't even bother trying to scrape it off the bottom of the tub. She gave me a heartfelt look, one of shame and embarrassment.

"That's… Does Yukina know? She can't possibly know, I mean—"

Miyuki finished my sentence with a pitiful chuckle. "Because she's so kind to me? Heh. Yeah… If she knows, she does a swell job hiding it."

"Does Genkai know?"

Miyuki nodded.

"Have you… You haven't even tried to apologize?"

She shook her head. "I want to, but there's another part of me—the selfish, cowardice part—that figures if she doesn't know... Then why bother?"

I scooted across the tub towards her, starting waves in the water as I perched myself next to her. She avoided eye contact and looked at the water below.

I tried thinking of a response. I was always on the victim's side. Now I tried thinking she was him. I had to push her to do what was right.

"It means everything to the person you hurt." The words flew out easily. It was something I wished for years now that I could say to him. I placed my hand on her cold shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Apologizing without wanting forgiveness in return shows how truly remorseful you are."

"I am," she grumbled. "I just…"

"It's scary admitting what you did was wrong," I agreed and pulled my hand back into the warm, welcoming water. "But you need to do the right thing, Miyuki. You need to tell her and apologize."

"I know." Miyuki nodded. "Just let me pack my things first."

My hands shot out the water and gripped her shoulders. I turned her towards me and her face fell in confused surprise.

"No!" I shook her firmly but gently, feeling the cold air rush around my bare skin. Locks of her purple hair spilled out of her bun and some of her fringe spilled over the horn on her forehead. "No. You don't get to make that decision. That's not fair to Yukina."

"Then, what? _Ask_ her if she wants me to leave?" She gave me a skeptical look.

"No." I retrieved my hands and pulled them back into the water. "You ask her what she wants you to do to repent. She's the one you hurt. She's the one you're apologizing to. She's the one who will tell you how she'd like to deal with it. You don't get to make that choice for her."

Miyuki stared me down for a while, processing the words, before she gave a solemn nod. "You're right." She looked back up at me with a sad smirk, eyes filled with gratitude. "How are so smart about this stuff, huh?"

She nudged her elbow into my side and I laughed. "I just…" My smile faded and I chose my words carefully. I realized there was no nice way to say it. "I'm tired of seeing abusers get away with it."

Miyuki's entire aura shifted, and so did her body. She turned away from me and faced the other end of the bath. I looked down at the water, watching the little waves settle as we sat in silence.

I had nothing else to say.

Yeah, my thoughts of her changed. But part of me wanted to like her still. She was so genuinely nice, followed Genkai's orders. How bad was a person who wanted to repent for what they did? Was the forgiveness enough? Did that erase their sins?

I would never forgive that man for what he did; I'd never forgive any man like him. Any person like him. They could get on both knees and lick the bottom of my shoes for forgiveness and I'd spit on them.

But here I was sympathizing with Miyuki.

It was because she wanted to make things right for what she'd done wrong.

She reached for her towel and stood from the tub before wrapping herself. Slowly, she made her way out.

My gaze never left the water which now swayed heavily from her movements. The thought of her hurting was ephemeral. All I could wonder was whether trying to right your wrongs erased the wounds they made.

* * *

**Kurama**.

She was physically distant lately. She was currently lying in my bed, facing the wall and reading some comic. I let her be. I thought perhaps her father was bothering her or maybe it was something about her junior high years.

I waited for her to come to me when she was ready.

One afternoon, she finally did.

She sat upright in my bed and sighed. I turned in my chair from my desk and looked to her. She dragged her fingers through her hair, pulling it out of her face, and then rested her elbow on her knee and looked over to me.

"I need to ask you something serious," she said, voice quiet.

I stood from the chair and made my way to the bed. I sat on the edge, across from her, and nodded, waiting for her to ask whatever it was. I expected something about her family, possibly even Yomi or my past, but the question took me by surprise.

"When you were… not in this human body, did you…" she paused and pursed her lips. "Eat humans?"

She waited for me to respond, but the question floored me. This was not the direction I expected the conversation to take.

"So you did," she mumbled, eyes falling to the blanket below.

"Rarely," I replied. "Before I gained my more… humanoid form, I did."

It's rare for us foxes to eat humans—it was often blamed on other youkai when a body's remains turned up because of us. When we were freer in Ningenkai, we didn't necessarily have a _bad_ reputation among humans—we were mischievous, and malicious at most—but we were youkai. We're carnivores.

And with the life I led—that I wanted to lead—hunting animals was easy, but hunting a human took far less effort and satisfied my hunger much longer than any wildlife did. And so, I preyed upon fewer humans than the fingers I had on my right hand.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Shoving her face into her hands, she raked her fingers through her hair.

"Will you tell me why you did?" she whispered.

I didn't know whether the truth would ease her or make her worry. The reason wasn't malicious, it was simply…

"When I was a fox—a young, and weak fox—they were my easiest prey."

Callous.

There was another moment of silence. I wondered if I should have lied, but I knew with her that would make the outcome worse.

"Okay… Okay, I want the truth," she said, and then looked up to me. "I want your side."

"Are they accusing me of eating humans _now_?" I asked.

"No," she said. If she had said 'yes' I would have outright laughed in her face. "Natsume showed me some files, and I just… I want to know if _all_ youkai eat humans. If they need to so they can survive or…"

I made myself comfortable on the bed. She waited for me to explain—tell her that Natsume was lying or that they were just those few. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that.

"Reikai didn't put up the barrier until a couple hundred years ago," I explained. "And humans and youkai have both been around for as long as we can remember. Youkai don't need human flesh, per se, but we need meat to survive. We're carnivores."

"So any animal will do?"

I nodded. "The problem is evolution and tradition."

"_Tradition_?" Her face fell in fear.

I held my hands up to pacify her. "The strong could eat the weak. We could also spend money at venders for substantial meat like anyone else, or we could eat an… _easier_ prey."

"So after hundreds of thousands of years…" she breathed.

"Youkai's eating habits evolved."

"It became a necessity." She put her face in her hands again, sighing.

"Not necessarily," I reassured her. "While, yes, humans satisfy our hunger for much longer, eating meat from any other animal will sustain us as well. It's just not as… 'healthy' as it would be to eat humans. One who eats humans will live just a fraction longer than one who does not. It doesn't make that much of a difference."

"So then it's tradition! That's even worse!" she cried, hands flying from her face. "That's even _worse_, Kurama."

"Aiko." I tried pacifying her, she was breaking. Stress emitted from her in waves, she was on the verge of tears. "What brought this on?"

"I have to fix this!" she replied, hand pressing against her forehead. "I have to figure out how to fix this."

"You cannot change hundreds of thousands of years of evolution and tradition," I reassured her. "This is not something you can fix."

"I have to do _something_ about it," she argued, propping herself up on her knees and shifting the bed. She gripped my arms, squeezing them gently. "They're using this to justify whatever they're doing."

I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Aiko, you can't solve all the world's problems."

"I…" she paused and looked down at the blanket again. Then, seconds later, she brought her eyes back up to meet mine. She seemed defeated, almost. "Koenma knows they eat humans, doesn't he? That's why the barrier's up."

"You knew it was up for this reason."

She shook her head. "I thought it was because they would kill us and yeah... Yeah, some of them may eat us but I didn't think this was some fucking _cultural_ thing, Kurama! I didn't think we're your _food source_!"

There was no point in arguing with her, trying to pacify her. She could do nothing about youkai's nature and neither could I.

We stared at each other and after a few seconds she sat back on the bed. Finally, she resigned.

"I'm sorry… I know it's not your fault," she whispered, keeping her eyes on the blanket. "It's just biology…"

"Aiko." I shook her shoulder's gently again and she looked up to me. "This isn't an issue you can fix."

She gritted her teeth and hung her head. "But if I let it go, I'm no better than Natsume and them. I'm just as bad to let people get hurt when I can prevent it."

I wasn't sure why I said it. I supposed it was going to be my best bet to get through to her. "Why do you insist on carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?"

But she replied without missing a beat, not offended in the slightest. "Because I was asked."

I had no reply, and she took that moment of silence to lean in. She wrapped her arms around neck and pulled herself upon me.

"Somebody else has to this time," she mumbled. "Someone else has to shoulder the weight for once."

With a sigh, I rested my hands on the small of her back. Her familiar perfume wafted around me, clogging my nose. I didn't mind it. What I did mind was her thoughts now.

She felt my hand on the small of her back lift slightly, and so she squeezed me tighter.

"If you're not comfortable trusting me anymore, that's fine," I said, and she didn't move.

She didn't respond. She just held onto me in silence. After what felt like a few minutes, she mumbled into my neck. "I've trusted you with things more important than my life already. Eating me is the least bad thing you could do." Because touching her when she didn't want to be was far harder for her to deal with.

Death was often quick—it was something usually definite. The end all be all. Death paled in comparison to surviving traumatic events.

"And even then, I trust you wouldn't do that to me—or anyone," she finished. "Not anymore."

And all I could think was: why? Why did she trust me so easily?

I hadn't done that much, had I? Was it something as simple as respecting her personal space? Had someone so horribly violated her to the point where even such a simple gesture meant the utmost trust?

Or was it simply part of her nature? That once she decided to trust you, that was it.

Or was she naïve?

I rested my head atop hers, unsure why she would trust me so. It wasn't something I didn't want—it was something I didn't expect. Not after this conversation.

I found I was glad she still chose to, even though I also found myself guilty for feeling glad—relieved, even. After the life I lived, I didn't exactly deserve her, let alone my mother.

And then she mumbled something so low that had I not had acute hearing, I would have missed it. "I trust you won't break my faith in you."

Sixteen years and I'd gone soft.

"I won't, trust me." I smiled, feeling her laughter on my neck.

When her laughter died out, she still held onto me. The previous conversation still lingered in the air, the stress still stiff in her body.

"Let's start with one issue at a time," I said. "What's something you can address right now?"

She sighed and pulled away, sitting in my lap. "Well, the tape came up again. Have you seen any of it?"

"No."

"Yusuke?"

"No, but…" I remembered Sensui kidnapping Kuwabara during the fight in the city. "There is a small chance Kuwabara saw some of it."

She heaved a sigh and I reassured her we could talk to him tomorrow. She was reluctant then and she was reluctant the next day as we stood outside Kuwabara's room.

"I mean, it's worth a shot… right?" she asked.

I could feel Shizuru staring daggers into my back and watching us in curiosity down the hall. As much as I wanted to say her suspicion was unnecessary, we didn't often come over to spend time together.

I nodded and she knocked on the door. "Kazuma? It's Aiko and Kurama."

In just a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Kuwabara in pajamas and some sort of head bandanna that had the kanji for "fight!" on it in bright red. I peered over his shoulder to find books strewn around his desk.

He was studying for classes and high school entrance exams.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" He grinned to us and moved out of the way.

We walked into his room and Aiko took a seat on his bed, bouncing slightly as she hit the blankets.

"I just… needed to ask you something," Aiko said.

He looked between the two of us. "Something wrong? Some new bad guy running around—"

"Nothing like that," I reassured him.

"Well we never really see each other unless something's up."

Aiko bit her lip and sent me a sad glance before thinking of something. "Well, I have an important question but I was also dropping by to see if you needed help studying in any subject."

"Sure, what's the question?" Kuwabara asked as he sat back in his chair. "What's important between us if there's no new danger?"

"Sensui's group kidnapped you, right?" she asked.

"Uh… yeah. Why?"

"When you were with them, did he do anything in particular?" She was beating around the bush.

Kuwabara looked to me in confusion, wondering what we were getting at. "You're going to have to elaborate, Aiko. What are you trying to say?"

"Was the tape playing?" she asked, and Kuwabara stared at her.

"Kuwabara?" I stepped closer to him and he cleared his throat, shaking his head.

"Uh, yeah. He had it playing. Why?"

We watched him turn around in the chair and face his work.

Aiko treaded carefully. "I, uh… I was wondering if you watched any of it."

"What's going on that you're not telling me, Aiko?" He didn't turn around.

"Kazuma, it's… it's my problem to deal with, okay?" she spoke gently. "I just need to know if you saw any of it."

"Yeah, I did."

"Do you happen to know the era?" she asked.

Kuwabara shook his head. "No. The clothed ones dressed pretty modern, though."

"If I, um… If I can bring in some photographs, do you think you could pick people out?" she asked.

Kuwabara turned around this time, a bit irritated. "I don't like being the only one left out of things, you know? Urameshi, Hiei, and even Kurama's leaving to Makai." He gestured to me and then pointed an accusatory finger at her. "And now _you're_ into something. I'm capable of helping out, you know."

"It's not that you aren't!" Aiko reasoned, hands up to placate him. "It's just… I got myself into this, Kazuma. You have things going for you, okay? I don't—I have to do this."

Kuwabara and I stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in. Before either of us could turn this on her, she quickly ruined the chance.

"So, could you help me? Could you pick out some faces if I gave you some?"

Kuwabara thought for a minute. "Yeah, if you tell me what's going on."

"I'm looking into Border Patrol stuff," she said. "Koenma thinks Natsume's up to something."

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I can try to pick out faces."

She smiled and stood from the bed. "Great! Thanks, Kazuma!" She moved to where he sat and looked over his shoulder. "So what are you working on? Need any help?"

"Oh, yeah, this algebra two stuff—"

"Aiko." Shizuru's voice came from the now open door. The three of us turned to find her under the threshold. "Can I talk to you about something? Alone?"

Aiko sent me a glance and nodded to Kuwabara before smiling to Shizuru. "Yeah, sure."

Kuwabara watched her follow Shizuru into the hallway and let out a sigh. "Shizuru hates it when someone brings up that video."

"Why?" I asked, taking Aiko's seat on the bed. "Did it mess with you, Kuwabara?"

"Eh, I mean… it's like the stuff you see in horror movies, you know?" He shrugged and picked up his pencil to work on the sheet of paper in front of him. "And I was able to look away. It wasn't like he forced my eyes open or anything."

"You could still hear everything, though," I noted.

"Well, yeah…"

He scribbled on his paper, working out a formula teachers forced us to memorize in my junior high years. I watched him work. He pushed away the memories he so easily ignored in the heat of the battle.

Even if he hadn't watched it all, to hear the content—the screams and cries of terror and pain for hours... It had to have affected him somehow. And yet even after all those hours, he still chose to fight by our side.

He still chose to save Ningenkai.

But then, I remembered his choice to slice open the barrier.

Though I was fighting for Ningenkai, I knew I would have made the same choice. But with everything he heard, whatever he saw, did it occur to him to not care about what happened to this realm? If we lost, if Yusuke hadn't resurrected, did it occur to him what would happen to this realm?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kuwabara asked, shuddering a bit. "It's giving me the creeps."

"Ah," I laughed. "Sorry, I spaced out in thought."

Kuwabara stared at me for a moment and turned in the chair. "It didn't make me change the way I think about us humans."

"After everything you've seen, you don't feel any different towards your species?" I asked.

He scratched behind his ear with his pencil's eraser, sighing in thought. "Well, I mean. I know there are bad people. Really bad people. Like Sensui. Like Tarukane, who took Yukina. Like the Dark Tournament Committee. And a whole lot of other people—regular people. But, I mean… there are good people too, you know?" He shrugged. "My sister's one of them, even though she'd break my arm for burning her toast or something. Aiko's a good person. Keiko's a good person. There are good people."

I found myself smiling. "You're a good person."

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess. I just… yeah, I don't see humans the same way anymore after all this. But it's like that law in America, you know? Innocent until proven guilty. Amendment…" He turned back to his desk and shuffled through some papers. "Amendment five. I'll always see us in a different light now, but I don't want to turn into the guys we fought. I don't want to be like them. Especially not like Sensui."

"Kuwabara, I don't think you could even if you wanted to."

"Is that a wise-crack?"

I laughed. "Of course not. I mean it genuinely."

A knock on the open door dragged our attention to Aiko. "Hey, uh… I'm going to head out. Are you staying, Kurama?"

Before I could even glance to Kuwabara, he answered for me. "Nah, you two go on. I'll call you both up when I need some help. I've got a mock exam soon and I'm actually going to take it."

"Sure, I'm getting good at calculus." She winked. "Call me for that or English Literature."

"Don't call her for English Language," I noted, standing up.

"The fuck's that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"Speak some English."

"I can read and write it just fine." She turned her nose up to me and looked to Kuwabara. "Just call me whenever you want to hang out—we should go see a movie sometime. My treat."

He gave us both a grin. "Yeah, for sure."

We bid Kuwabara farewell, and I waited until we exited the household and walked a few more minutes in the bright afternoon's sun before asking what Shizuru wanted. Before I could, she beat me to it.

"She did _not_ want me bringing that video up to him."

"What did she say?"

She looked up at me, worry spread on her features. "It changed him. I mean, I know I don't know him _that_ well but he's good at hiding it then. I mean, I knew if he saw that then it would have affected him but still…"

"It did," I told her. "In a way."

"He's really good at hiding it then," she scoffed. "If I saw what was on that video, I'd be a whole different person. I wouldn't be able to hide it like that… Is he _really_ okay?"

"Aiko." I reached my hand out to her shoulder, and she stopped and turned towards me. A gust of wind swept past us, giving her goose bumps on her bare arms, and I placed my hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about Kuwabara. He'll be fine. Shizuru's only looking out for him."

She began fretting, talking fast. "I want to be around him and help him, you know? But everything with Border Patrol and how he may be able to pick someone out on the video or—"

"Don't worry, Aiko." I placed my other hand on her other shoulder. "Trust me; I'll make sure he's fine."

"He's my friend too, you know? I need to do _something_. Especially if I'm giving him pictures to pick people out… I don't want to have to ask anything more of him."

"You don't have to," I reminded her. "I'm here."

She forced a smile, one of appreciation though laced with doubt. She placed her hands on mine. "But if there's something on that video and we open pandora's box, I'll need more than you. I'll need a lot of help. And… I don't want to burden anyone else—not with this. Kazuma's working on his way to live a normal life; if he studies hard he can go places. I can't ask him to get involved in this. And I'm worried I may end up needing manpower."

Brown eyes wanted to break away from mine, revealing anxiety and worry of what was truly happening.

"What's _really_ going on?" I asked, and she shook her head and let her eyes fall to the floor.

"I don't know. I _still_ don't know… but it's something bad, Kurama…" Her eyes shot up to see mine, and with a deep breath she continued. "I was expecting something big; I was already scared, but this is… I'm worried about this. The things she said to me seemed so simple but..."

"You're not alone in this," I reassured her, and she gave me a sad smile.

"I know…" She squeezed my hands and let her eyes fall again.

Another brush of wind swept our hair up, and hers fluttered wildly for a moment before settling on her shoulders in a mess. Her thumbs rubbed gently over the back of my hand, grip still tight to keep me standing.

We didn't bother moving, neither of us exactly excited to head to her apartment to look through textbooks. The few seconds that lingered were calm, peaceful. It left an ominous cloud lingering in the back of both our minds.

* * *

**Aiko.**

"You're late for your mandatory community service." My dad leaned against the door's threshold, arms cross over his chest.

"He knows I'm showing up late today," I replied, making sure the outfit Yukina made for me was still shoved at the bottom of my backpack.

I put my face into the bag, smelling the clothing since I couldn't remember if I washed it.

Eugh. _Fuck_. Nope.

Oh well. They'd just have to put up with me smelling like sweat and body odor.

"How much longer are you doing it?" he asked, and I looked over my shoulder to see him. "You haven't built up enough for your applications?"

"I don't know. Until they feel I'm caught up on club activity hours I guess." I shrugged. "I don't exactly mind being there."

"They have you doing heavy lifting," he noted. "You're gaining muscle."

I hadn't noticed. I tried not to think about how I was looking thicker—how I was gaining weight. With all the stress I was under, it was a miracle I wasn't going the extra mile to starve myself to compensate for the muscle growth.

My clothes still fit—they were tighter, but they still fit.

If they didn't, I'd spiral into self-loathing but… I was mentally preparing myself for the inevitable. I was, honest…

Because I had so much riding on my health, my stamina. I needed to eat… and I did. I tried every weekend to convince myself it was all healthy food and that it wouldn't hurt to eat. It wouldn't hurt to eat.

So long as I didn't stare at my body too long I could manage. So long as I didn't bend or twist the wrong way and saw something unsightly, something pudgy...

"Yeah, I have to clean the rooms and the rest of the building too." I always made sure to never mention it was a temple. I mentioned Genkai's place to him before but I couldn't remember whether I told him it was a temple. My best bet was to keep it vague, play with half-truths. "Then I have to do yard work and all that other stuff."

"I told you," he said. "You should have joined clubs in the beginning so they wouldn't force you to do it so you could have something on your applications."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," I mumbled. "I don't mind it, though. The people there are nice."

I didn't mind it. Well, I did, but I needed the alibi. Every other weekend I'd head to Tohoku and play with Natsume. I was copying her. Imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.

Not only that, but familiarity breeds comfort, which breeds trust. I was on better terms than I had ever been with them.

I felt like an undercover cop—in a way, I was. It was like I was infiltrating a group of skin heads and I was regurgitating to them what they wanted to hear. All I did was say what they said with new wording. Hell, sometimes I repeated shit verbatim and I'd get praise and trust thrown my way.

And her hatred showed more each time I visited. And each time it showed, it became more and more disturbingly disgusting.

I went to the dealer's a couple more times with Natsume to pick up some prescription drugs but nothing else happened. I felt she didn't trust me _enough_ yet. I had to think of something that would let me in on their real secrets. More of those files, maybe. Haruko said there were files public throughout Reikai, so what were the "private" files?

Koenma was still trying to figure what they used to create that void and why. He wasn't keen on asking his father so he took it upon himself to sort through a list of Reikai's items.

Which was apparently longer than Kurama's rap sheet.

I would have gotten an answer sooner if I'd went to him about the void thing earlier, but at the time I was upset over what Natsume showed me. I didn't want to talk to Koenma about it because I knew he knew. He wasn't hiding it from me—in fact, just like Kurama, I figured he thought I knew already.

I shoved a few items of clothing and some tennis shoes into the backpack and zipped it closed.

When I heard his footsteps traveling down the hallway I decided to take my last items. The keychains.

I'd been saving them for this day... Well, this night.

Tonight was the night Kurama left to Makai.

I thought he would leave in Irima's Cave. But since the SDF opened the barrier once on Genkai's compound, they damaged it enough to let Koenma open and close it.

Another part of the idea was that if they noted him leaving and found out about him, they'll already have him recorded in Makai. The usual problem applied, since whenever he returned to Ningenkai he'd have to lay low.

But that was nothing new for him.

Before I could head out of my room, Minoru came bolting down the hallway at me. He jumped on me, wrapping his arms around my waist and legs around my hips.

"I'm going to take ballet lessons!" he yelled with glee.

Huh?

"We can afford that?" I took my dumbfounded look from Minoru and sent it down the hall to my dad, who was rolling his eyes.

"That's the only thing you can think of?" he asked. "What about the fact he's a _boy?"_

"Boys can dance."

"_Ballet_?"

"Mami was showing me the moves she learned in her class and it's so beautiful!" Minoru said, dragging my eyes back to him. Soto, Mami was one of the two only friends he had at school. "I want to dance like her."

I looked back to my dad. "…Yeah."

"He only has two friends and he'll lose the other—the only _boy_ friend he has—to ballet."

Thank god for all those karaoke nights.

"He can dance if he wants to. He can leave his friends behind." I dragged my feet along the wood floor, awkwardly moonwalking backwards to the beat of the American eighties hit. "Because if his friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine."

"Your mom should have swallowed you," he grumbled. "Get your dumbass to your community service."

His comment flew over my head because he'd said much worse before. Minoru slid off me and hit the ground with a small thump. I ruffled his hair and headed to the front door.

"If dad tries to take this away from you when we can _afford_ _it_, tell mom!" I called, earning the stink eye from my dad.

"Leave."

"Okay! Have fun, sis!" Minoru called after me as I shut the door behind me. "See you after summer break!"

"Bye!"

I debated whether I wanted my key-chain on my backpack or my school bag throughout the whole bus ride to Genkai's. I figured I'd see it more often on my school bag when summer break was over.

Breathless after reaching the top of the mountain, I looked around the dark compound. Genkai didn't often kept the lights on, but since company was here, the compound was alight.

Sliding the shoji door open, I greeted the compound's regulars and set my backpack at the table. The chatter was lively among the group of girls, and I looked around for Kurama, Genkai, or Koenma.

"They're at the dojo waiting for you," Yukina said, having watched me scan the entire living room. "Or… they may have already set out into the woods."

"Thanks, Yukina," I said as I knelt and rummaged through my backpack for the key-chains. "I'll be back in a few."

Stepping back out into the cool night air, I found they weren't at the dojo. Jogging out into the woods, I came upon the clearing where Yusuke left months ago.

"You think you could sneak off without me being here, huh?" I called, voice echoing throughout the quiet mountain. "Haven't you learned yet? You can't get rid of me."

Kurama turned to greet me with an obnoxiously wry smile and I continued jogging to meet him and Koenma. Genkai wasn't here.

The bitch was probably going to ambush me on the way back to the compound.

As I slowed to a stop next to Kurama, Koenma opened a small rip in the dimension. It was smaller than the portal Yusuke's crew went through. The telltale smell of rotting corpses and what might as well have been three day old dog shit that'd been sitting in the summer sun seeped through the portal. It traveled slowly at first, but once it reached me it punched me in the face like I owed it money.

I refrained from putting my hand over my nose and mouth and tried to tough it out. After a while, the smell wouldn't bother me too much.

"You remember what we talked about?" Koenma asked, and Kurama nodded.

"What?" I asked, looking up to Kurama.

Kurama answered for Koenma. "I'll repress my ki as much as possible to ensure it doesn't tip off any patrol."

"Even if it does, it'll be like you left to Makai and never came back though, right?"

"So long as everything works out with the tunnel in Irima's Cave." He nodded and then looked over to the current portal. "It will be a bit hard getting back to Ningenkai, the portal's in the sky there."

Koenma passed by and nodded to Kurama. "I'll leave you two then. Good luck, Kurama."

"Thank you, Koenma."

And he paused next to me. "I've found some of the more plausible reasons the dealership is a void. See me after this."

I nodded, and Kurama and I watched him disappear into the woods. I then remembered my key-chains and held his up.

"I got you a present!" I smiled, watching the fox tail dangle in front of his face. "To remind you that you can never get rid of me."

"I learned that a long time ago." He took the key-chain by the tail and looked at the coloring.

"I have one too," I said, holding my up as well. He looked at the plush, cartoon cat face. "I thought about giving you this one but figured the fox tail suited you best. I kept it in my backpack for a few months so my scent would stick to it."

He retrieved his hand from the tail and I watched as his face turned to one of exasperated disgust. "That's a step too far."

I laughed. "I know, I'm kidding. I put some of my ki on it." I then grabbed his backpack and stepped closer to him, looking for the zipper. "I was thinking of asking you to put your ki on mine, but I didn't think that'd be a good idea, considering Natsume and all."

"And you didn't think the same for your ki to be with me in Makai?" he asked, watching me loop the key-chain to the zipper.

I smiled and pushed the little chain around, watching it curl into the hole. "I'm _Border Patrol_, remember?"

We stood in silence as I tugged on the key-chain to make sure it was sturdy. I turned to look up at him and then glanced to the disgusting portal. I hated that he had to leave but was glad he would be returning… so he said. At least his trip wasn't definite like Yusuke's.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel if I didn't have the small hope of him returning. I already lost Yusuke for god knows how long; I didn't want to lose him too.

"I'm routing the house number to the phone in Yomi's tower when I arrive," he said, and I looked up at him again. "I'll call Genkai's mainland to tell you what's happening and when it's fine to call, if you ever need to."

I nodded and forced a smile. "Shiori will probably call you three times a day to make sure you're eating."

"She should send those calls to you," he said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm eating," I replied. "Here, especially. I feel like if I don't eat what Genkai gives me, she'll shove her fist down my throat and rip out my stomach."

He knew better than to reply about how I minimized my meals when I wasn't here and kept the conversation light. Anything but bitter and sour.

"And you'll be back the day before school starts up again, or the day of?" I asked.

"Night before," he replied, and I looked to the portal once more. I hated its smell. "Aiko."

"Hm?" I looked back to him and found his hand hovering over my shoulder. I nodded, and it rested in the nook between my neck and shoulder.

"I'll be back."

I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face into his leather jacket. I wanted him to return—I didn't want him to leave like Yusuke.

Kazuma would be all I had left. He was good company, but I didn't feel the same about him like I did Kurama. It wasn't even close to the same. Kazuma was an amazing friend, and I'd cry all the same if he left to Makai—but this was different.

He rested his arm around my shoulder. "You know you can always call if something happens."

I nodded, face rubbing against the cool, soft leather. "Yeah, I know…"

And there was the chance Kurama wouldn't return. He could remember how much his past life suited him, how powerful and untouchable he was, and stay.

And I would be left here. Kazuma and I would be left here to twiddle our thumbs as we waited and hoped they'd return.

"Aiko."

I grunted in response, tightening my hold.

"I'll be back after summer break."

Mhm… Of course he would.

I finally let him go and stepped back, but I found myself still gripping the sleeve of his jacket. I mustered the best smile I could despite not being able to pry my fingers from his sleeve. "I'll see you then."

He gently squeezed my shoulder in hopes of soothing me enough to let him go. Instead, I found myself pulling my face up to meet his. Lips pressed against his, I forgot how to breathe.

My chest swelled like it had the day at the docks, and I felt my face heating up in embarrassment once more. I could feel his smile under my lips, and I knew I messed up again.

As we tried suppressing laughter, I pulled away briefly to try once more. His finger guided my lips to part slightly, and he taught me again.

I wondered if I'd have another chance to learn after tonight.

He pulled away. We said goodbye. A weight deep in my stomach told me there was I large chance I wouldn't.

I found Koenma in the common room alone. A small cup of tea sat in front of him and he was and stamping papers, flipping through them without much thought at all. He seemed so engrossed in not paying attention to what he was stamping he jumped as I shut the shoji door behind me.

"After all this time searching for what the void could be, what you found better be it," I said, walking to the small table.

"After all this time undercover, you better have found more information," he retorted with blithe nonchalance.

"Hit me where it hurts," I droned and sat across the table from him. "What do we have?"

He stamped one more paper and then set it in the pile to his left. He heaved the still large pile on his right off the table and set them next to him on the floor. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a manila folder.

"There were two possibilities I found last night," he said, turning the folder around for me to take. "But only one made sense."

I opened the folder, finding a lone, thin sheet of paper with… what?

"This isn't… Is this hiragana?" I asked, squinting at the unfamiliar characters on the talisman.

"Hentaigana," he replied. *****

"Jesus Christ, how old is this thing?" I pinched it between my index finger and thumb and held it up.

"The binder made it a few months ago."

I looked at him for a few good minutes but he didn't say anything. I had a feeling he wasn't going to explain what a binder was so I had to assume it was someone who made the talismans.

"Get with the fucking times, Reikai. It's the twentieth century."

"That's how the binder wanted to write it. Syllabary styles vary among binders."

"Okay, so are you going to explain or keep talking to me about this like I know what it is?"

"I'll have you know I spent weeks finding a way to get my hands on one of those without rising suspicion. I'll talk about it casually for as long as I please."

"What, alarms go off if one of these goes missing?"

He picked up his cup of tea to take a sip. "No, but suspicion does arise. They're dangerous tools. We never should have made it."

I scoffed. "So of course Reikai has it. What. Does. It. Do?"

"It seals ki. Reikai uses it to repress ki for Ningenkai facilities so to not arouse suspicion."

I stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to take his news. Was that… bad?

"I mean, so your ki is bound and you can't do anything with it. Boo hoo. Sucks only if you're in a fight, really."

He sighed, a mask of disappointment and dejection forming on his features. "You don't seem to understand…"

My hand found its way to my forehead. "Then fucking _explain_ _it_!"

"It seals ki. And not just what you can use, Aiko."

I slowly set it away from me, still not one hundred percent grasping why that was oh, so horrible. I didn't want to tell him that, though. He seemed irritated at having to explain this to me in so much depth. Even though I kind of needed him to. I stared at him, hoping he'd continue.

After taking my hint, he did. "Ningenkai facilities under Reikai control use it to repress ki. This keeps above average—and even average—people from sensing what's nearby."

"Why…? I don't…"

"Barrier Regulations and Enforcement facilities that act as immigration offices." He rubbed his temples like I was a burden to explain this to. "Having too many youkai in one place will make even a normal person aware of them. Masking ki makes things easier."

"And it masks all the ki, everything." I nodded slowly, finally understanding thanks to the explanation I had to drag out of his mouth. "I didn't see one in the dealership, though."

"If that void was only inside the dealership then they must be around the perimeter of the entire building."

"I'll check next time I go down there. You think the dealership is an immigration office?"

He crossed his arms and huffed a large sigh. "_That_ dealership isn't listed as one."

"Well, there we go." I smiled. "They're definitely up to something there. I'll find out tomorrow or Sunday if you can convince Genkai to let me off this weekend."

"I'll talk to her about it," he said. "Where are you with them?"

A disgusting chill ran down my spine, making me shiver.

"I'm disgustingly close to being her lapdog," I spat at the thought. "The things I have to say to make her trust me again is sick. I feel like some fucking skinhead; it's gross."

"You've mentioned that already."

"Yeah, well that's all it is. Every time I bring up Makai or youkai in general, she just talks about how she's waiting for them to die out," I ranted. "How she wishes she could just send them all back to Makai and have it Nagasaki'd—and yes, she said _Nagasaki'd_—because them leaving just isn't good enough. She's a fucking skinhead."

He looked at me without much expression.

"I never thought I'd ever have to use that word to describe someone but that's it. She's a fucking skinhead. A Nazi. A fucking _Klan member_." I drew a deep breath. "I knew she hated youkai but she says some fucked up things. I told you already."

"But they haven't let you in on anything else?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I keep trying to pry, ask about her work. But whenever I do, it veers off into some tangent about how none of those _critters_ should even be stepping foot in this realm to begin with."

He sighed. "Find out what she's doing with the talismans at that dealership."

"I'll ask what they are if I can 'stumble upon them'." I quoted the words with an eye-roll.

"I can't have you diddling and beating around the bush, Aiko."

"Yeah, well after all the shit I've done and said to them, I'm trying to make sure I can get back into her graces without raising a red flag." Raising my voice at him didn't seem to get the words through his thick head. He was already mad that I was taking so long to get close to them, but I couldn't rush something like this—not if he wanted it covert.

Not if he actually wanted _information_.

"You get down there this weekend and bring me back some real information," he ordered. "All we know is that something is definitely wrong there. We don't know what or why. Get something to go off."

I nodded and drew a deep breath. "Maybe I'll get to stop acting like a fucking Klan member after this…"

I knew I wouldn't, but damn would it be nice not to.

* * *

**A/N:**

**_*_** _Hentaigana_ is obsolete or nonstandard hiragana. Was used widely until roughly 1900 where they made sure to have about one hiragana character for each consonant-vowel sequence. Yeah, I'm laughing at the name too. Homonyms, wussup.

I managed to churn this out earlier than planned! I'm doing horribly in general so instead of handling my responsibilities like a mature adult, I decided to write.

That being said, thanks to _ChaoticHarmony1991_, _Pelawen Night_, _FoxyBoxes1010, ovenfreshh,YuYuHakushoObsesser, DIA MN D S, _and _ChuyaDud _and three other guests for reviewing! And thanks to everyone who followed and faved.


	15. I'm a Ruin

**A/N: **I'm nervous about this chapter for a lot of reasons, one being I'm trying to get better at fighting scenes, and another being this chapter has one of my favorite scenes in it. I've wanted to get this one out for almost two years now. (Also, it's been two years since I started this series, oh my god?) I won't change the rating just yet, but this is a warning to y'all—this chapter's just the beginning of this content and the next time _will_ warrant an M rating.

Before we get started, I'd like to thank _ovenfreshh, YuYuHakushoObsesser, OhSoRad, __DarkWolf1689, _and a guest for dropping a few lines last chapter. Thanks to everyone who followed and faved! Love ya.

* * *

**_PART VIII. "I'm a Ruin."_**

* * *

_"I'll ruin you. I've been doing things I shouldn't do."_

\- _Marina Diamandis._

* * *

**Kurama.**

"Earthquake? No, I didn't feel anything."

I managed to wire the home phone to my office in Makai when Mother left on her honeymoon. When she called home, it went through to this phone and she was none the wiser.

I stared out my office's window, watching the purple lightning crack in the red Makai sky. The sky was the same since I left—brooding and looming. Dark clouds often hung in the sky above, though they rarely held rain.

Aside from its inhabitants, the only other difference between our dimensions was the sky. Ningenkai's blue was bright and gave one a feeling of safety in comparison to Makai's dirty red. To those who never set foot outside of Makai's dimension, they wouldn't know any other feeling than the looming burgundy sky. To those privileged enough to see Ningenkai's blue sky, it was obvious Makai's atmosphere wasn't eerie just because of the sheer amount of youki.

Below the sky in Gandara, were buildings, and farther out on the horizon was the greenery I was so accustomed to.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone for a few more weeks?" Her question prompted me to return to our conversation.

"Yes, don't worry, Mother. Stay on your trip as long as you like." I forced her on an all-expenses paid trip out of the country during my summer vacation. "You deserve it. You and Kazuya deserve some time alone… No, don't worry about the house. It's in good hands."

Hanging up after more idle chatter, a subordinate appeared at my door. It was one of Shachi's men, which surprised me. Not even a day ago, I enraged the "second in command" during our first council meeting and he was already plotting my death. The lower A-level youkai at my door said Yomi requested my presence.

Unfortunately for Shachi, his brawn and youki meant nothing. I could outsmart him as I was now.

"You're tense," Yomi noted as we walked through one of the large hallways. Shachi's anger amused him at the time, though he hadn't showed it. "Staying alert to see if Shachi's following you?"

"No, but I wouldn't put it past him to try something," I replied, falling in step behind him.

"Only one council meeting and he's already plotting your death. You sure have a way with others."

I raised an eyebrow, keeping my tone flat. "For a blind man, you see many things."

"I heard his heartbeat quicken, heard his blood rush through his veins, and the blood pool in his eyes as they turned red." Sometimes I wondered if he truly was blind, but every time I questioned it he reminded me he was in some subtle way.

His hearing was impeccable. He could hear the slightest movement, a shift in the air. Those who lived in his territory rumored he could hear everything inside it. Anyone sane would scoff at the idea—even his hearing wasn't _that_ trained—but there were times when he noted or referenced things that made one wonder whether his hearing truly did make him omniscient.

"Losing my eyesight was part of what made me stronger. Now… let me guess what you foresee in half a year."

It took me a split second to remember what he was referring to: what I had said to Shachi that set him off.

"Hiei, Urameshi, and yourself will be the second in commands in half a year from now," he said. "Second in command is key to who prevails. That's what you always believed."

His taunt was suspicious, and I knew where it was taking the conversation. I figured he would keep beating around the bush, but he spoke what I feared he would.

"But before we let that happen, I think I should show you the other reason why I invited you here." He turned over his shoulder to smile at me. "After all, we should do this first before we continue entertaining the idea of you moving up."

I could only hope he didn't find the right youkai.

I thought about that night the entire way there. Yomi took me across the city, underground, to a holding cell. The hallways were long, cold and steely, and the door in front of me seemed to be the only one here.

"Can you guess who's behind this door?" Yomi smiled.

I knew who it was. Part of me wished he was wrong, that he found the wrong youkai. But of course, I didn't bother covering my tracks that well back then. At the time, I didn't plan on living a different life—if Yomi found out it was me who hired the youkai then so be it. If he ever wanted to come after me, I would handle him myself.

But now, I was singing a different tune. An entirely different genre.

"The one I've searched for all these years," he said. "He who took my light."

"You said your blindness helped you gain your throne," I noted.

"Right…" Yomi mumbled halfheartedly, walking to the number padlock.

I looked away as he punched in the code. I wanted fate to play a cruel trick on me, work me up this much to reveal it wasn't the youkai I hired.

"What's wrong, Kurama?" Yomi taunted. "Your heartbeat's picking up and your eyes are on the ground. Look up. I want you to get a good look at this."

The doors hissed open and something comparable to dry ice spilled out. The cold air traveled around the floor and into the hallway, and the light inside the cell turned on.

And there he was. The youkai I hired to assassinate Yomi a millennium ago. Starved, beaten, and tortured.

The room reeked of rotting flesh, feces, and urine, but Yomi walked inside without much care. I followed him, eyes unable to look away from the prisoner.

"The decay's gotten worse over the past few days," Yomi noted. "He doesn't talk much anymore; it hurts him too much."

That may work to my advantage.

Yomi reminded me of our days together as bandits raiding castles and towns for treasures and fame. I didn't much care for the trip down memory lane, but I pacified him, hoping to hear him veer off into a direction I didn't think he would. His anecdotes of "I didn't blame you" and "It must have been hard to follow through with calculating plans with such a loose cannon at your side" gave me a glimmer of hope.

"And until now, ten full centuries later, I didn't see you again, Kurama." Yomi's voice was growing more and more cheerful—more satisfied—despite its smooth intonation. His pitch never changed, but the words themselves held a sort of pride in them. "Now why is that? I figured the only way I could know was by finding the man who took my light. For a thousand years I searched for him, and even now I've yet to learn a thing."

There was no way Yomi wouldn't interrogate the youkai, unless he truly learned patience. A part of me didn't believe him, but I knew the idea of the youkai calling me out for my crime in front of Yomi seemed that much more enjoyable for him.

He began laughing, and I wasn't sure what to make of my predicament.

"Is there something you find amusing?" I asked.

"You, Kurama," he replied, again taunting. He turned to the youkai and walked towards him. "Your heartbeat slowed when you saw the state he's in, as if he's no longer a threat."

Yomi stopped in front of the youkai and kicked him, nudged him to wake up. "You, speak."

The youkai, chained loosely to the wall, grunted in pain and looked up—with no eyes of his own.

"Please, end my life, Lord," he grunted, challenging himself to speak through the pain. "I can't bear this torture any longer."

"Alright, I'll grant your wish, but first you must answer my question. The one you've been too scared to answer." He took after me in some ways, Yomi did. He waited for me to return. He knew if he made the youkai suffer long enough, he'd crack. And he did. "Who was the one who ordered you to ambush me and take my light?"

I refrained from inhaling sharply and instead held my breath; though I was sure he heard that as well.

With a raspy voice, the prisoner replied. "He had gold eyes. Cold eyes. Such cold and calculating eyes, and silver hair. He was a Youko... Youko Kurama."

I stared at the back of Yomi's head, waiting, wondering, until Yomi let loose a scream of rage. He picked his foot up and smashed his boot into the youkai's head, crushing it against the wall. Blood splattered against the wall and splashed on his jacket and pants. Bits of broken skull and brain matter flew to the floor haphazardly.

And then Yomi was silent, and I waited.

"And there it is," he said before turning back around to face me. "Of course, I long suspected it. I just didn't want to believe it. I just want you to know that I bear no grudge against you, old friend."

I could hear a familiar voice in the back of my head gnawing at me, reminding me of my human life. "That's the biggest fucking crock of shit I've ever heard in my entire goddamn life."

Of course, he was lying, but I couldn't prove it.

"In the enterprise of power, you made a business and you made decisions."

"Then what do you want from me?" I asked.

Did he do this to guilt me into helping him? Instill fear into me? What was his true gain, his _ultimate_ gain, of doing this?

"The reason I invited you here, Kurama," he replied. "Is that I want you to aid me in this war as I aided you back then, despite my mistakes of immaturity."

It wasn't sitting right with me. Surely, there was more to it.

"I learned much from you, Kurama," he said, and then dealt a particularly low blow. Something that neither of us could refute nor deny. "I tried to model myself after you. I only brought up the past so we could move beyond it."

I chose my words carefully, kept my tone calm. "And if I say 'no'?"

His brow twitched and he cracked a smile. "Your human mother is on a plane right now."

I tried controlling my breathing and stopped the low growl from carrying out with his name. "Yomi…"

"At least, according to the files my agents supplied. That was nice of you to give them that trip."

Gritting my teeth, I suppressed as many emotions as possible. I knew I couldn't keep my family safe. I knew they could end up as liability, but I figured he wouldn't go so far to hunt them down countries away.

"I hope the plane doesn't crash," he mused. "Even a middle-aged couple dying in a plane crash doesn't get much attention in your human media."

I held my tongue, refraining from agitating or provoking him at all.

"Quite a life you had in Ningenkai," he continued. "But it led you back here to me—all because of mommy dearest. Her falling sick triggered the chain of events that put you back here. And yet, most people would feel real emotions in this situation. You're instead calculating how to save your mother."

It was near impossible to save them at this point. My only insurance for her safety would be to follow Yomi's orders, to play along. He knew that.

"But, I'm not sure whether I can say you want to save her because you love her or if you just don't want to lose control over the situation."

I kept my hand from twitching. I was itching to reach into my hair and pull out any plant to use as a weapon to silence him.

"Emotions were never something that handicapped you," he continued. "That's why it confused me to see you with that little human girl."

_Shit._

"I wondered why you entertained the girl, bothered with her at all. I thought, 'Kurama would never involve himself romantically,' until I saw her social circle."

I held the sigh of relief tight in my throat.

"She's friends with the Barrier Regulations and Enforcement officers," he said. "So, of course, Kurama would use the girl. He doesn't want to part from mommy dearest."

He must not have dug deep enough in her life as he did mine or he'd know the truth. Hopefully, once they saw Natsume, they left her alone. Even Yomi didn't want to step on Reikai's toes.

I hoped he wasn't toying with me again.

"One question about her," he said. "If I may?"

"It depends," I replied.

"Shachi tells me she's hard of hearing," he said. "He saw her signing. Tell me, did you ruin her too? The way you did mommy?" I tried, despite the futility, to keep my heart rate from spiking in anger. "Or worse, me?"

She was hard of hearing, but not in the way he thought.

If he knew what was good for him, he'd stay away from her too. "She was born hard of hearing."

Yomi smiled and walked towards me. He stopped next to me.

"That's what I like about you. You're always calculating, methodically planning a way to win and keep control. So lend me your abilities, Kurama. When the war begins, the people will need someone like you to guide them."

He modeled himself after me. I wasn't sure why I thought this outcome would be any different.

* * *

**Maya.**

"Thanks, Yukina." Miyuki smiled at the ice maiden, and she returned the gesture after setting freshly sewn clothing in front of the ogre. "I appreciate it."

"No problem, Miyuki," Yukina replied, bowing her head a little before stepping out of the common room.

She left the shoji door open, knowing it was better to let the cool summer night air filter into the stuffy room. Her bright kimono disappeared down the open hallway, leaving nothing but the dark forest outside in my sight. Since it was night, most of the cicadas stopped crying, but a few still weren't finished.

I eyed Miyuki's clothing, trying to pinpoint why this didn't feel right.

I mean, our clothes ripped often. Since none of us had the money to buy new clothes every week or so, Yukina offered to stitch up our clothing. The clothing Yukina made me and Aiko were identical, spare the size difference, to save her extra effort. The shirt resembled the style of a qipao and tucked into the baggy karate pants that wrapped around our ankles. It was easy for her to stitch up when they tore and simple enough for her to make a new one if it ended up shredded. Miyuki was often seen wearing her cheongsam but would wear the black jumpsuit I first saw her in as well.

So Yukina dropping off patched up clothes wasn't unusual in the slightest. Except for one _little_ detail…

"You _still_ haven't told her, have you?" I gasped.

"No," Miyuki mumbled, shoving her face with rice. "I haven't yet…"

"It's been how long?" I didn't bother trying to hide my disgusted tone. "Months! Months since you told me you'd talk to her. Miyuki, _really?"_

"Leave it, Maya," she mumbled. "Let sleeping dogs lie while they can."

"'Can'. Okay," I scoffed, so fed up I had to set my chopsticks down and scoot away from the table. "Yeah, it's all at _your_ convenience, Miyuki."

"Maya, please stop," she grumbled.

I'd let her slip by this long. I thought they'd talked in private. There was a time where Miyuki avoided Yukina. She would remove herself from the room if the blue haired youkai even so much as stepped foot into it.

But that was just Miyuki's guilt. After a while, I asked whether Miyuki told her, and she said she was still working up to it. I let it go.

It hit me just now because they still acted the way they did when I first arrived here. Friendly. Ignorant. After telling someone that, nobody would treat their abuser the same way. Nobody. Not even sweet Yukina.

Yukina probably would still be polite to Miyuki. I wouldn't put it past her to be civil, but this was genuine kindness radiating towards Miyuki.

That was questionable. That was _so_ questionable.

"How many times did she say that to the people who hurt her?" I hissed. "'Please stop'."

Miyuki's fist slammed into the table, rattling our dishes against the wood. "Shut it, Maya! We all can't be perfect like you, okay?" she seethed. "Not everyone can accept what they did wrong. We're cowardly, scared, maybe even selfish. Maybe that's why we hurt them."

"You're right." I nodded, taunting her with a concerned tone. "Not everyone can be a good person and apologize for what they did wrong."

"You mean to tell me…" She leaned across the table, anger flaring in her burgundy eyes. "If you did something horrible, you would outright say 'sorry' after hiding it for so long? Even if 'sorry' wasn't near enough to fix the damage"

The pained look on her face when I replied hurt my heart, but the hurt was ephemeral. "I would say sorry as soon as I realized it was wrong. That's the right thing to do. If that's all I can do, I'll do it."

Miyuki began picking up her dishes, still filled with food. "Yeah, well, we can't all be perfect like Maya. It's just not in some of us."

"Yeah…" I nodded, nostrils flaring as irritation and anger boiled in my chest. "We're all just monsters." She took offense to that, worse than my other insults, but before she could open her mouth to rebut, I shot her down. "We sit there and work for the person who gives us what we want no matter who he's hurting in the end. Be it stealing candy from a baby or torturing a girl to get her tears and sell them."

Miyuki's anger washed away and then there was nothing. No emotion. "You think I'm proud of that?"

Before I could speak, the slight creak of the tatami mats by the shoji doors caught my attention. I didn't change my expression, despite being surprised. I didn't even so much as flinch or falter at the sight of the person who entered the room, but Miyuki still knew who was behind her.

Miyuki turned to face Yukina, whose normally cheery aura was quiet and calm. It was eerie, having never felt it like this, but far from dangerous. The room grew colder. Her chill was crisp; stung my skin at the faintest touch. The once warm room was slowly freezing over.

The two youkai stared at each other, Yukina waiting and Miyuki trying to form the best words possible.

But Yukina was the one to speak first. "You worked for Tarukane."

Miyuki nodded, and Yukina titled her head.

"For the Black Black Club."

Miyuki's lips twitched and she sighed. "Black Black Club, indirectly. Tarukane, directly."

"And you knew who I was when we met."

Miyuki shook her head. "No, not at first. You felt and sounded familiar. It wasn't until I learned you were an ice maiden that I figured it was you in the tower all that time."

I sat in the background, tense and unwelcome, but I couldn't leave. The tension and ice in the air was palpable. I could feel it latching onto me, weighing me down. I couldn't bring myself to leave. I couldn't work my legs.

"You want to apologize."

Miyuki stared at Yukina from across the room before getting on her knees. In our culture's most formal, sincerest form of apology, she lowered her head to the floor. The tip of her horn touched the tatami mat.

"I understand if you can't forgive me," Miyuki said. "But I want to apologize for what they did to you. For what I didn't do for you. I was selfish, looking out for myself without thinking about who I was exploiting."

Yukina began walking to Miyuki but didn't say a word. She let the ogre continue speaking into the tatami floor.

"I don't expect your forgiveness, and I don't deserve it. But I want you to know I'm sorry, for whatever it's worth."

It astounded me how remorseful she felt, how evil she must have been at the time. How could someone change like this and feel so remorseful, but still have the capability to hurt another so much? Could someone really change so much?

How could someone do those things to begin with if they were capable of feeling so bad afterwards? What could give someone a conscious when they clearly didn't have one before?

Yukina stopped in front of Miyuki, the cold air carrying with her.

Whether they forgot I was there or didn't care, I was thankful to see this. I was thankful they let me see this.

Yukina knelt and cradled Miyuki's face in her hands. She lifted it up, letting Miyuki look her in the eye.

So Miyuki said it again. "I'm sorry."

Yukina stared at the ogre in silence and Miyuki anxiously awaited her response. Burgundy eyes searched into the bloody red of the ice maiden's, hoping to read her, to know what she would say.

Would she ask Miyuki to leave? Would even the gentle Yukina show her distaste for her abusers by hurting them back?

I held my breath and waited, but then… Yukina surprised me.

"Nobody apologized," she said. "Nobody ever asked for forgiveness."

"I should have said it earlier." Miyuki nodded and tried bowing her head, but Yukina tightened her grip on Miyuki's face. She lifted Miyuki's head to keep looking at her.

"Nobody ever said it at all, so thank you." Her hands fell from Miyuki's face and rested in her lap. She gave a small smile, one of true appreciation that juxtaposed her cold aura. "Thank you for apologizing, Miyuki. I forgive you."

Miyuki's hand hid her mouth; blush covered her face as she sniffed. She looked away from Yukina, eyes watering.

I sat quietly in the room, a smile settling on my face. I couldn't believe I thought Yukina would hate Miyuki. The girl didn't have an evil bone in her body. Some could argue that was a fault, but in all honesty, we needed more Yukinas in the world.

As that thought passed through my mind, I remembered Aiko.

I felt the Yukinas in the world balanced the Aikos, but either way, it was their choice how to forgive the people who hurt them. I was glad Yukina could forgive those who hurt her.

But I also wouldn't blame her if she couldn't.

* * *

**Aiko.**

I pretended to admire the convertible models as Hayashi and I walked around the lot. The moon was high in the clear night sky but it wasn't bright enough to let me see the building. I stayed close to the glass walls so I could look for any talismans.

"You like convertibles?" Hayashi asked, checking the year on the model to see if it was new.

"No, I do like the color though," I replied, eyeing the last wall. We were almost back at the front entrance. "Beige is nice on cars, I don't know why."

"Beige is the fourth popular right now," Hayashi said. "Right underneath white, black, and silver."

No talismans. They had to be inside. Guess that made the most sense; it would be a little weird to have talismans planted outside in broad daylight. Still, if I couldn't find any inside I'd hate to look around _after_ I scoured the offices and turned up empty handed.

"What kind of car do you like, then?" Hayashi asked, pulling my eyes away from the building.

I scanned the lot and picked out a nice car a few rows over. I pointed to the black sedan—it was an older year. "Realistically, something affordable." I then pointed to a model next to me: a suave, silver coup. "But honestly, something nice that looks expensive."

"There's no point in looking if you're not buying, bitch." Natsume's voice came from above, causing me to jump. I turned around to find the lot empty of others.

I looked up and was strangely surprised; I didn't know there were windows—let alone a second floor. I thought the stained black glass was just that—glass. Everything aside from the mechanic workshop attached to the back of the building was glass. It made sense now, though, because I had assumed the ceiling was high rising. The height didn't make much sense until now.

"Well?" She leaned out of a tall, open window, calling down to me. "Are you going to buy or are you just fantasizing?"

"Fantasizing," I replied.

"Well, get up here then," she called and then pulled herself back inside the building. The almost body length window closed as she disappeared.

I began walking back to the front door with Hayashi. "Is she working tonight or something?"

"Akane tries to work whenever she can," Hayashi replied.

We neared the entrance and when she opened the door, she pivoted on her heels and latched onto my shoulder with a more than firm hand. She stared me down. It was a strange look—not necessarily malicious, but not calm and aloof like usual.

This look didn't suit her—it wasn't her. This wasn't the calm, collected Hayashi. This must have been the Hayashi I never met before: Border Patrol Hayashi.

I stiffened, trying to look innocent. I didn't know if she found me suspicious or if I slipped up, because I'd been kissing ass this whole time. It would be such a shame and waste to see it all go down the drain just because I was looking for a damn piece of paper.

"Akane is glad you're learning, changing," she said.

I nodded and shrugged slightly under her hold. "Okay…"

"She's putting a lot of trust in you, bringing you here," she continued. "You know, she's been following in her father's footsteps ever since she could read."

I nodded again.

"I don't know how much longer she plans on entertaining you, or how far she's taking this, but I trust and respect her decisions." Hayashi's grip moved from my shoulder to my bicep and tightened. "But if you risk Akane's future, you _will_ regret it."

My brows furrowed and I gave her the best confused look I could muster. "What… What are you talking about?"

"I've been with Akane from the start of it all," she said. "I'd hate to see her progress falter because she put her trust in someone who can't handle it."

Was tonight going to be something? If I asked the right questions, would Natsume answer them?!

I hid my excitement and continued to look as dumb as she played at school. "Um… yeah. I get it."

She gave a toothy smile and her grip loosened. "I'd hate to see anyone take her happiness away."

She turned back on her heels and headed inside. Cautious, I followed her. Our footsteps echoed throughout the empty dealership as we headed for the back. I looked around the open floor's ceiling, hoping to spot a piece of paper. So far, nothing.

I wondered if it'd set off any red flags if I asked now. Surely, it shouldn't… right?

"Hey, uh, Hayashi?" I asked.

"Hm?" She glanced over her shoulder at me. Her brown eyes lit up with what little light reflected off the sequins on her top.

"I've been wondering for a while now but…" She should have been wondering why I never asked until now. Asking couldn't hurt… right? She looked at me with nice eyes—sweet eyes. This was the regular Hayashi. Despite the little chill I got from her just seconds before, she always was the level-headed one of the three. "Why does the inside of the dealership feel so different from the outside?"

She laughed, letting her giggle bounce off the walls. "If Akane wants to tell you, she will."

"Okay… I'll ask her then…" I mumbled, feeling a smidgen of relief that she didn't take it strange.

It felt so _off_ to outright ask these girls something. I felt if I didn't beat around the bush then I'd have a big "FAKE" sign on my forehead. But then, I felt if I didn't ask outright, I had a big "FAKE" sign on my forehead.

This entire time, I worried every movement or sentence I made was suspicious. I over-analyzed everything I did. I was paranoid, and it was mentally and emotionally draining.

As we neared the fire exit, Hayashi dug in her purse and pulled out a set of keys. She unlocked the door and we headed up the fire escape's stairs. I never did go up these before. Maybe something _was_ happening tonight.

The staircase was clean, but the air was dingy and cold, like it was rarely used. The railing was clammy—and it wasn't my from hand.

When we reached the second—and presumably top—floor, we entered a wide, open room. The lights were off, but the moon was bright enough to let us see clearly. All along three walls were file cabinets that reached from the floor to the ceiling. The entirety of the last wall was a window, overlooking Tohoku's streets with the moon hanging overhead.

Natsume stood in the middle of the window, arms crossed over her chest. She looked out of place—we all did—in this room. Our clubbing outfits were far from professional.

"Welcome to our public files room." Natsume grinned. "Home of all the nasty, illegal youkai we've caught here. Well, them and the scummy fucks that managed to weasel their way into a legal contract."

"So… the dealership's an immigration office?" I asked, hearing the door we walked through open. I glanced over my shoulder to find Fukui closing the door behind her. She smelled of cigarettes.

Natsume nodded her head side to side. "Of sorts."

I looked back to her. "So is that why… the inside of the dealership feels so different from the outside?"

Natsume paused, blinked, and then laughed. "I was wondering when you'd ask that! Maybe one day you'll find out, but for now, I figured I could share this."

The public files. If the private files weren't here, they were either in Reikai or held in the computers I saw on some offices desks. I wouldn't put it past them to have their own network.

"So you bring those things in here?" I asked after a deep breath.

"No, like I said, this isn't really an _immigration_ office," she replied slowly, choosing her words with care.

"Then what is this place?"

"This..." She smiled and her teeth glimmered a bright white in the moonlight. She put her hands out to her side, as if to welcome me to the room—to show off this brand new prize I won. "Is part of the light I wanted to show you."

I waited, wanting her to tell me, give me something—anything to bring back to Koenma.

"But that all depends on whether you're ready," she finished, hands planting on her hips.

"Ready for what?" I asked, and what felt like flimsy paper slapped my shoulders. I shuddered in surprise.

Fukui stepped up next to me and I took the manila folder from her. I looked to Hayashi and then Natsume, and opened the file. Another beastly youkai—scaly and oddly colored with horns.

"What's this for?" I looked up to Natsume.

"Long story short, he committed a crime that revoked his contract, and he's been evading us ever since," Natsume said. "And for now, that's all I can tell you about his crime. But what else I can tell you is that we're hunting him down tonight."

…

What.

_"Us?"_ I looked around at the girls. "Why not the fucking SDF?"

Those useless bastards.

"They're the King's lapdogs. They don't catch illegals," Natsume replied flippantly, waving her hand around. "Usually other Barrier Officials round them up, but…" She began walking towards me, slowly, one foot in front of the other. "I want to see how you handle this. We've never gone out and fetched 'em ourselves before but I think it could be fun."

I didn't know what to make of this—I wouldn't have to hurt this guy too bad, right? Just beat him up and send him back to Makai. He broke his contract, after all…

"Okay, but like, I think we should change first," I said.

Heels, leggings, skirts—those weren't exactly hunting clothes. My skirt was already riding my thighs, and yeah I could run in heels, but I couldn't fight in them.

Natsume cackled, throwing her head back. "Trust me; you don't want to change out of your heels."

I couldn't fathom why…

They were all wearing leggings or jeans; I was the only one in a skirt. I was the one who had to worry... but I had a feeling flashing my underwear would be the least of my problems tonight.

Sosuke dropped us off in a sleazy part of town, and I was wondering if they'd really never done this before. I knew for a damn fact these girls couldn't fight, but they were all way too calm for this to be their first time.

This just wasn't sitting well with me.

"What does the file say?" Natsume asked, and Fukui flipped it open and read the address with a tired tone.

"Should be…" She looked at the rundown apartment complexes we passed by. "That one on the end."

Oh, we were just picking him up from his place. Phew… I paused, relief fading away as fast as it came. Why was that _also_ not sitting well with me?

"What number?" Natsume asked as we approached the front of the gated apartment complex entrance.

"Six-forty-three."

Natsume pointed to Hayashi and she nodded, and then Fukui, who nodded as well. Hayashi stood next to the doorbell-intercom system near the main entrance as Fukui headed back to where Sosuke dropped us off.

"You're coming with me," Natsume said with a wink, grabbing my hand. I let her pull me along. "I'm _so_ excited to try this out."

She led me into the dingy and damp alleyway next to the apartment. A particularly large rodent scurried across the ground and hid in the shadows. I shivered at the sight of the long, stringy tail.

"Here we go," she said as we rounded the corner to the back of the complex. It was even darker back here—at least in the alleyway there was some light from the street lamps.

When my eyes adjusted, I looked up the building, finding the fire escape. Natsume looked over her surroundings and then nodded with a small hum of approval.

"Okay, Ami!" she called and then turned to me. "Brace yourself."

"For what?" I looked around as she went to the wall of the building, next to the dumpster, and began rummaging through the various shit on the ground.

God, if she was going to touch garbage something was _definitely_ up. Was this a lure to kill me out here? I looked around again, but we were alone.

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the dark alley. I looked around again to find nothing only before realizing there was one last direction to look: up.

And there he was, with tons of shimmering broken glass following him, falling to the ground. He'd jumped out the window.

"Aiko!" Natsume yelled. "Get him!"

A sharp whistling soared through the air, and I turned to the source in time to extend my hand. I caught the broken lead pipe with ease. The slime between my fingers made chills run down my spine, but I gritted through it and took a few steps back.

The youkai landed right in front of me within the second, and I swung the pipe like I was on home plate. He was fast. By the time I had the metal flying, he was already scurrying to the alley. I threw it after him.

It whistled as it spun in the air, and then smacked him in the back of his head. He yelped in surprise and stumbled, tripping over his feet as his hand reached for his head.

That was when Natsume came out of the shadows with a rusty crowbar and hit him in the spine. He cried out in pain and hit the ground as she dug her heel in his back.

"Running from Barrier Officials only makes your charges worse," Natsume tutted, wagging the crowbar in sync with each suck of her teeth. She twisted her heel further into his back, threatening to rip his t-shirt.

"You revoked my contract!" he snapped. "You took it for no reason! I haven't done any crime against humans while I've been here!"

"Yeah, uh huh." She lifted her leg up and stomped down on his back, and her black heel pierced through his skin. Blood spluttered out from under the heel as he cried in pain. "You know what you've done, you fucking mongrel."

"I'm sorry!" he screamed, writhing around in pain. "I don't know what I did!"

She yanked her heel out of his back and kicked him over. He scrambled away from her, but his legs didn't work the way he wanted them to—not with that gash near his spine. She kicked him into the wall of the neighboring building and he backed up against it.

"I thought we were just deporting him," I said, running up next to her and grabbing her arm. "Are we sending him back dead or something?"

She yanked her arm from my grip, not even bothering to look at me.

She brought the crowbar up to his face, pointing it at him accusingly. "If I don't handle this fucker, he'd just run and hide again! He knows what he did and he'll do what he can to escape deportation. I'll chop his legs off if I have to."

"I did _nothing!"_ he screamed.

"Shut up, Christ," Natsume growled, swinging the bar at his head again. Blood splattered on the wall he leaned upon and on the cement below. "If anyone sees or hears you, I'll have to kill you."

He whimpered, curling into himself against the wall.

"Where the fuck is the car?" she spat, looking down the alley to the street. She then shoved the crowbar in my hand. "Don't let him run." She looked to him before turning on her heels. "If you have to kill him, I don't care. I'd prefer him alive but you do what you need to."

"W—wait! Why not just call them?" I called after her but she didn't reply. I looked down to the beaten youkai with a cracked open cheek, bleeding mouth, and welted face.

I wanted to reassure him things would be fine, but I couldn't. Tonight was some sort of test to her. I would do what I could and hope I wouldn't have to hurt him any more than I needed to.

I heard a slight shuffle and looked down at him. He was standing up, knees still bent since I caught him in the act.

"Come on, man," I sighed. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

He gave me a wary look and then sunk back down on his bottom, hitting the cement with a thud. A few moments passed and I spent them pretending to pick lint off my black bustier top. With a sigh, I turned back to look down the alley and hoped Natsume would show up soon. She'd been gone a while now, considering Sosuke hadn't dropped us off too far away from the apartment. I wondered if there was another test for me.

I knew I had to play this part—the hating youkai bit—and hurt them… but she didn't want me to… _kill_ this guy… Did she?

A heavy blow knocked the wind out of me, and before I knew it, I was rolling on the dingy ground. I sat up and found him hobbling away. He headed for the other end of the building—where another alley must have been.

I picked up the crowbar and cursed him under my breath. I didn't want to hurt him but I'd ruin everything I've done these past few months if I didn't play the part.

Dancing in heels? Check. Running in heels? Check. Fighting in heels?

Drunken, sloppy, not-even-in-the-box check.

I kicked off the black leather before running after him; I gagged as I felt the slime and grime wedge between my toes. I caught up to him easily and tried grabbing his t-shirt, but he immediately brought an arm back and bore his claws.

I jerked my head back and felt the wind from his claws brush against the tip of my nose. My blood ran cold—this wasn't training; I just narrowly avoided having my face ripped to shreds. He turned around, swiping at me with both hands. I dodged each swing by the shred of a hair, sidestepping his arms and ducking out of the way.

I saw a brief opening when I bent my knees. I dropped the crowbar and lunged at him. Left fist to the gut—he curled into himself and breath flew out his mouth. Another jab to the jaw and one to his ribs had him weak in the knees.

As he doubled over, I grabbed his wrist. Twisting it around, he pivoted with the force as I pinned his arm to his back.

I kicked him in the tailbone and sent him flying face first into the ground below near the garbage. I dug my knee into his back, grabbed the crowbar next to us, and slid it under his neck. Gripping the other side of it, I brought it up, lifting his head by his neck and twisting the gross metal into his breaking skin.

He grabbed at weapon, trying to pry it from his neck, but I pulled harder. He coughed, choked, and pulled his hands from the rusty metal.

"I told you not to make this harder than it already is," I hissed, and he coughed in reply, choking. "I want to let you go so we can walk back to the other end of the building, but I don't know if I can trust you."

His voice strained, cracking. "You can," he coughed out. "You can!"

I sighed and looked over my shoulder to see if Natsume was back yet. She wasn't.

I leaned in towards him again. "Don't make me draw blood this time…"

"I won't!" he spluttered, and with a sigh, I let go of the crowbar.

He fell to the ground, coughing up blood. I lifted him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back to where Natsume left us. Just as I rounded the corner into the alley, she reappeared at the other end.

"Caught him trying to make a break for it," I said, shoving him into the wall. He stumbled and fell to the ground before it.

"Then let's make it so he won't try again," she said as I picked up my heels and began putting them on again.

Eugh, the slime on my feet was disgusting. I didn't want to ruin my shoes but like hell I wanted to walk around barefoot on this disgusting floor. I was surprised I didn't step on a needle already, let alone all that broken glass.

To my surprise, as she approached us, she didn't grab the crowbar from me. Instead, she lifted her foot and slammed it into his face. The heel of her shoe dug into his nose, piercing through the scales and cartilage, but did nothing to muffle his screeches. His screams gurgled in the alley, and my blood froze.

Jaw on the dirty floor, I was too stunned to move. I lost feeling in my arms and the crowbar fell to the ground next to me.

He continued screaming, and it only became louder when Natsume yanked her heel from his face. He held his face in pain and fell to the ground, screaming even louder. He couldn't keep himself upright—he could only writhe around. Natsume picked up the crowbar and then turned back to him.

She lifted him by his collar and shoved him upright against the wall. My head was getting light, swimming a bit.

I finally found my voice, meek as it was. "I already handled him."

The alley then turned red. I thought I was passing out until I realized it was Sosuke backing the car up into the alley.

"Not good enough," she said before turning around and whacking him in the head once more.

He fell so fast when his head hit the cement it came with a loud _crack_ and blood splattered across the floor and wall again. He didn't move as blood pooled around him. He… Was he…? She killed him.

She killed him.

"Make it so he can't run again," she said, turning to me with specks of blood littering her face and clothes.

I tried scraping my jaw off the floor. "Wh—How?"

She chucked the crowbar past me, back near the dumpster where she found it. "How do you think?"

The car slowed to a stop behind her and the trunk popped open, bouncing a few times before settling to a crack.

And this was the moment. The one that made or broke my persona.

Was it worth hurting someone who was probably innocent? Even if he wasn't—nobody deserved to be treated like this. What was the worst he'd done?

"Turn this criminal into a fucking paraplegic, Aiko!" she snapped.

I looked down at the youkai and tried finding a way out of this. But I knew.

I knew if I wanted to find out more, I had to do this… If I went back tonight and reported to Koenma what I chose, he'd berate me, argue with me.

If I went back tonight without doing this, it was over. She was close to trusting me. She brought me on this escapade. She included me in border patrol business. This was my test. I was _that_ much closer…

But I didn't want to hurt him.

But I was so close to them letting me in. I was _so_ close to finding out everything.

"Look, I'm sorry," he yelled with a nasal voice and slurred, blood-gargled words. "I won't run again! I won't!"

With a shaky breath, I stepped to the youkai. He was still crying, writhing face down in the ground. I didn't want to hurt him.

He wasn't attacking me—this wasn't self-defense. Nothing could excuse what I had to do.

"What happens to him when you take him like this?" I asked, still looking down at the poor guy. "Are we killing him before we dump him in Makai?"

She didn't reply right away, but when she did, her voice was soft. It was just loud enough to make it out over his pleading and the humming of the car.

"One step at a time, Aiko."

I couldn't ruin this chance…

"I know it's scary at first, Aiko, but I need to know you can handle this," she said. "If you can't handle this, there's nothing I can do for you."

I tried stilling my trembling hands. With a deep breath to calm my nerves—albeit done in vain—I lifted my foot. I closed my eyes.

I wanted to back out. I didn't want to do this.

With a sharp exhale, I stomped down with all my might. I felt the cracking of scales, and then right after, the sickening crunch of bone underneath my foot. My stomach churned at the sound. He screamed louder, almost ear shattering, and my blood ran cold. My arms went numb. After what felt like hours, I opened my eyes.

My heel sunk into his back, between the ends of his shoulder blades. I stared at the blood as it gushed around my shoe. It pooled around his shoulder blades before spilling over his back and to the ground where it continued to flow like a healthy river.

Natsume patted my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Her voice fluttered into my ears but I couldn't make out the words. My ears rang, drowning out his screams and whatever praise she gave me.

My head was swimming. I became dizzy. I wanted to lie down. I couldn't hear anything.

I hurt him. I ruined him… He'd never walk again.

My eyes stung, burned, as warm water clouded my vision. The stinging traveled to the bridge of my nose and trickled down into my nostrils as my head grew lighter, warmer.

I tried not to pass out. I tried even harder not to cry.


	16. Scab and Plaster

**Kurama.**

As second in command, Shachi had many under him at his beck and call. I wasn't worried about them; I was positive I could handle them if need be. I doubted I would even have to deal with them, because I was targeting Shachi. All I had to do was overthrow him, and his men would be under my command. Loyal, they wouldn't be, but that wouldn't be a problem. I would have men of my own under my command; I would have Yomi's approval, and thus, theirs begrudgingly.

The problem was finding a willing group. Anyone who had the strength to fight under my command in this cold war was either dead or even less eager to see me than Yomi was. My only solution wasn't necessarily bad, but it may not sit well with Yomi.

I approached him about it because I felt I was underestimating him about this. He learned patience. He learned to think plans through and contemplate and predict how each choice affected the future and its outcomes.

I knew who I could ask, but whether they'd agree was another matter entirely. I could worry about that after I discussed this with Yomi, though.

He sat behind his desk, more than amused about my proposition.

He smirked, one side of his smile curling up ever so slightly more than the other. "You're not asking me whether you can have men under your command, so out with it."

I leaned back in the chair opposite him, arms crossing over my chest. "I'm saying the men I want under my command are not up to par. It would take a while to get them to A-level, and their best resource to grow stronger is in Ningenkai."

"So you want lenience in being able to come back and forth during your longer stays." His tone implied I was itching to run off, leave this behind.

But that would be defeat, and I wasn't keen on letting Yomi defeat me. It didn't end like that a millennium ago, and it wouldn't end like that this time around.

"A leader's presence in his men's growth is essential, wouldn't you think? Well, of course there are men that just can't learn with even the best guidance available, but as a leader, you do all you can to ensure they're at least up to par."

His smirk faltered ever so slightly, and I suppressed the flutter of satisfaction that took flight in my stomach.

"Besides, this would lead us to victory and wouldn't harm the growth of this territory's power in the slightest," I told him. "Raizen is still predicted to pass in about a year. That gives me more than enough time to strengthen a team and guide them to support you at their fullest."

He linked his fingers together and rested his elbows on the desk. His hands covered the lower half of his face, leaving me to read only the top—which didn't give much away due to nerve damage around his eyes.

"You're preparing for when you become second in command," he said.

I didn't bother giving him an answer, and he didn't care enough to stick around to hear it. He stood from his seat in his office and smiled down at me.

"Then," Yomi said, walking past me and heading to the door. "I expect great things from you, being the strong, guiding leader you are."

Despite the low blow, I felt he retorted more out of petty retaliation.

At his remark, I paused, finding myself familiar with my past. It seemed lately, being in Makai brought out the old me. I thought I'd changed, having lived in Ningenkai for the past sixteen years. Unfortunately, my itch for power and demand for respect was proving otherwise. It was uncomfortable, and I wanted to reassure myself the unease was misplaced.

"Also." He paused in his stride before looking over his shoulder to me. "The phone in your office has been ringing for the past twenty minutes or so."

Mother knew this was the week I left for the "botany club's trip." That meant it was Aiko, and something was wrong if she was continuously calling.

After he left, I returned to the office I held a few floors up and looked out the window, finding Yomi departing his premises with Yuda. Had Yomi still been here, I would have worried. Though he couldn't hear everything in his territory, he could hear everything in his building.

I wasn't worried for bugs or spies, as I already scoured the room once. I knew when someone came in my office—their scent lingered.

The phone stopped ringing once I neared my desk, but it began ringing again when I took not even another two steps. When I picked up the phone, I didn't even need to address myself.

Gut-wrenching sobs cried out from the ear piece, and I hesitated. "Aiko?"

"Ku—_hic_—Kurama," she cried. "Kurama, I fucked up."

The unease redirected itself.

"What happened?" I asked, sitting in the chair next to the large desk.

"I fucked up so bad—_so_ bad. I'm horri—_hic_—ble! _Horrible!"_

It concerned me more than it probably should have. She'd never cried like this—at least not to me. I'd never heard her sob this violently. It beat the day at the docks after the tournament.

"Aiko, please tell me what's wrong." I tried keeping my voice calm, soothe her, but nothing worked.

"I—I'm scum. I'm no better than Natsume," she sobbed. "I'm no better than him!"

She was too frazzled to answer me. I had to let her run herself ragged, spill everything on her own.

"I'm horrible." Her voice was cracking. "I hurt him. I didn't need to but I did it—_hic_—I could have backed out, but I did it. I'm such a piece of shit."

"Did what?" I tried pushing her along.

"I hurt him. I hurt him, Kurama. I ruined him."

"Who?"

"This youkai who fucked up on his contract." Her voice cracked to where I couldn't make out a single word. After a second of blubbering crying, she managed to speak coherently. "Natsume took me with her to get him and one thing led to another—_hic_—and… and…"

There was a moment of silence—spare the muffled crying.

"Aiko, you can tell me what happened," I said.

"I paralyzed him," she whimpered, and the words didn't really sink in. 'Paralyzed' as in… he couldn't walk? "I broke his spine. I broke his spine so he couldn't get away again. I had to do it—if I didn't, Natsume wouldn't trust me."

With a heavy sigh, I rested my head in my hand, my elbow on the desk. "Where are you?"

"Genkai's." I could barely make it out.

It would be an even longer trip to the temple from Mushiyori, but I would make due. I could be back within twenty-four hours and have a simple lie planned for Yomi.

"I'll be there soon," I said.

"No!" she gasped. "No, you don't need to do that… I—_hic_—I just need to hear your voice, talk to you."

I paused before asking: "Do you want to keep talking about this?"

"I don't… I…" she paused then too, and I could hear her sniffling. "I don't know."

"Would you like me to choose another topic?"

"No… I just…" she hiccupped again. "Does… it ever get easier to deal with?"

I hesitated. I wanted to lie to her, comfort her, but she wasn't naïve. She couldn't afford to be naïve. I wondered if she wanted me to lie to her. I wondered if she pondered whether I spent my days in agony over what I'd done to Yomi and the many others I ruined. I hadn't—not until recently.

"It doesn't," I replied, voice low as I regretted saying it to her.

She stopped crying. No muffled sobs, no sniffling. True silence.

I hadn't cared about what I'd done to Yomi and the many others because at the time, there was no reason for me to. I had no conscious, no guilt. I had no morals that led me to think twice about my actions had they hurt others. I had no reason to care so long as my choices benefited me.

What was the life of a thief—no, a _king_ of thieves—who cared for others? Short.

"But Aiko," I continued, because she had a chance to understand before it was too late. "The fact you're upset means you have a conscious. You're not like the ones you hate. You're not the same."

"Just because I had different reasons to do what I did doesn't make me any better."

"That's not what makes you better," I reassured her. "That's not what separates you from them."

"I still did it. I'm just as—"

"You have a conscious. You feel remorse. You didn't want to." I heard her soft breathing on the other end of the line. "Yes, what you did _was wrong. _I will not lie to you about that, but you are not like them. There's no excuse for what you did. You hurt him, but you are not them."

She sniffed once, then twice, and then her breathing steadied.

"You'll have to live with the choices you make, Aiko. And they're not all going to be what you want them to be. They will not be easy; they will not be black and white."

"So, the end justifies the means?" she mumbled.

"No," I replied. "So choose your means carefully. You can't solve what you've fallen into with idealistic means, Aiko, and you know that. You won't be able to fix this without shedding blood."

"I just… I didn't want to shed what wasn't necessary, you know?"

"I know," I consoled. "But most of it _will_ be unnecessary."

"What if I become them?" she asked. "I'm already as bad, what if—"

"You become them when you fight for what they want," I replied. "When your morals change, when you stop fighting for what you started fighting for, you become them."

"But I'm just as bad," she flustered. "I'm just as bad, but coating it as justice."

I took a deep breath. "Aiko, listen. People will get hurt, there's no way around it."

"But—"

"If you want to make a change for the better, you'll have to make sacrifices." The brief pause in my words, and her silence seeped through the phone. "So choose your sacrifices carefully so you can live with whatever happens."

Her breathing steadied and quieted, and I waited for her to speak, respond—anything, even cry again. I needed to make sure I didn't further her self-loathing. …Though I could have avoided that through taking a different approach in the beginning of this phone call. But part of me knew that wasn't what I had to say to her—to myself, even. I just needed to hear something from her, to know she was still with me.

Not even a second later, I found myself standing from the chair, mentally noting what I needed to take with me back to Ningenkai. I could get there and back before Yomi even noticed I was missing.

Her words stopped me just as I reached for the bag I kept under the desk. "Thank you, Kurama."

I paused, and let the words sink in as I sank back into my chair.

I felt my response was less surprising; the words came out quietly, easily, and dare I say in relief. "Thank you, Aiko."

The conversation died into quiet breathing, and the occasional sniffle from her end, for a few minutes.

Then, suddenly, she changed the subject. "Did I tell you Genkai is teaching me some karate kid bullshit?"

I felt myself smiling.

"What styles?" I asked.

Our conversations became simpler, easier to talk through, and less focused on the supernatural. Talks of classwork, things we missed about being in the comfort of our own homes… They were simple things, happy things. But I think we both knew the other was running through their head, burying unwanted memories. Vivid memories; some recent, and others not much so.

* * *

**Shizuru.**

The thing about Kazuma was that once he got his heart set on something: he was going to see it through and there was no arguing or stopping him. He was going to do it, especially if it was something that needed to be done—like if justice had to be served. Or whatever.

That's why I tried not to take my irritation out on either of them, because I knew both Kazuma's and Aiko's hearts were in the right place. Aiko was just doing her job, but seeing her on the front porch was working my last nerve. I wanted that life put behind him because he wanted to do better for himself. I didn't want her coming around and dragging him into things, no matter how much he didn't seem to mind.

She knew I didn't want her here, and so she was much more courteous than necessary.

"Afternoon, Shizuru. I'm here to see Kazuma," she said, stepping past me as I stepped aside to let her in.

I watched her bend over to unzip her boots.

"Part of your Reikai work?" I asked, watching her stiffen as she straightened upright.

"Well, I figured I could also help him with his studies," she said, giving me a small, embarrassed smile over her shoulder. "I'm pretty good at English Lit."

I walked next to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder, squeezing it slightly before heading down the hall to the living room. "Yeah, before you go and help him, I figured we should catch up a bit. It's been a little while."

"Yeah, sure," she replied swiftly, hiking her cross-body purse up on her shoulder.

I led her into the kitchen and offered her a seat before offering her favorite drink: vodka.

"Oh, normally I would—and I appreciate the offer—but I have to head back to Genkai's after this," she replied. "If I show up smelling of alcohol, she'll throw me into an even lower level of hell."

"Genkai's _Inferno_, huh?"

She laughed. "Spot on."

I offered tea instead, and as it began brewing, I sat across from her at the table. She gave me a small smile of masked guilt.

"How have you been, Shizuru?" she asked.

"Pretty good," I replied. "Things are back to normal. Kazu's doing great in school, and the salon is getting busier."

She smiled excitedly. "That's good to hear."

"What about you?" I asked. "Not with Reikai, I mean. With life in general. Your family, you and Kurama…"

"Oh, well…" She glanced down at the empty table and then looked back up to me. She was still done up—face full of make-up and hair pulled into a silky ponytail. "My dad's still mad at me for the stunt I pulled during the tunnel incident, but he's speaking to me. Me and my mom are fine. Kurama and I… we're good." Her voice faltered a tad, dropped a decibel. "He left to Makai a while back but he'll… be back soon."

"You sound so confident in him," I jabbed, and she pursed her lips."But, I figure he'll come back. So don't worry, Aiko. He has you and his mom to come back to, you know?"

She nodded and then gave me a wary stare. She knew I wasn't talking to her just to catch up. She didn't want to be rude because she knew she was already stepping on my toes by coming here with her work when I told her not to.

"I told you not to bring up the video," I said, and her lips pursed thinner. "Kazuma's a strong boy but that video's still fucked up and you know it."

She nodded and looked down at the table again. "I know, and I feel horrible for bringing it up but…" And then her eyes glanced up to me. "If he can pick someone out then maybe I can connect the dots, Shizuru."

"You know Kazuma's feeling left out with the rest of the boys leaving, Aiko," I said. "Don't take advantage of that need for him to feel useful by subjecting him to that mental horror again."

"I'm not, honest!" She leaned over the table, hissing to keep from attracting Kazuma from upstairs. "I just… Shizuru, I need help. I've just barely made it in and it's been months. If he can give me a lead, then I'll take it."

I stared her down, trying to pick up anything other than guilt. She was sincere, and that's what made me even more irate.

"Let me see the pictures," I said, holding my hand out across the table.

She dug through her purse and pulled out three. She handed them to me, and I recognized them immediately.

"Your little friends," I noted.

The blonde, brunette, and ebony haired girls' profile shots. They were one step above mug shots, but with how glamorous they always presented even their mug shots wouldn't look like mug shots.

"I figured they're the least likely to be on the tape," she said. "Rule them out first and make it easier for Kazuma. Since I doubt they're on there, he won't have to remember too many bad scenes."

With a small sigh, I handed them back to her and she stuffed them back in her purse.

"What's so important on this video, Aiko?" I asked, but the whistling from the tea kettle almost drowned out my quiet question.

She heard me. "Border Patrol is really funny about that video. They want it destroyed, so I thought maybe someone in Border Patrol is on the video doing something they shouldn't. If Kazuma could pick out a face he saw, it could give me a direction."

"It has something like, thousands of hours' worth of footage on it. You know that, right?" I stood from the chair and made my way to the kettle.

"Yeah…"

Pulling it off the burner, I began prepping our cups.

It made sense for her to look for any lead she could, and I couldn't blame her for trying. I was mad. Not so much at her than at the situation. This was just another path in life Kazuma was going to stumble onto, derail him from having a safe life. Kazuma had such a good heart, and if he found out about whatever evil Border Patrol was up to, he'd do all in his power to help.

I couldn't let him ruin everything, not when he was so close to being able to do something with his life. Something that wasn't brawling in a back alley somewhere for dirty money. Something that wasn't selling drugs or doing petty work for the yakuza. Those were the options he was going to have aside from meager, odd jobs or minimum wage work if he kept this up.

That's if he even lived this time around; I didn't know what danger Aiko was _really_ getting herself into. Twice now, I almost lost him.

The scare at the Dark Tournament and then the kidnapping… He almost didn't come back from Makai. I couldn't let him get into that again. The danger Aiko was wading around in was soaking the scab and threatening to rip it clean off the wound.

I couldn't let him get into this. Mom had passed long ago, and Dad was out making his dirty money too often. I was just a hair stylist with a cigarette addiction and an affinity to Scotch. Kazuma was the last hope in this family to get a good life. _Live_ a good life. And I wouldn't let Reikai's current events ruin that chance for him. I wouldn't let Reikai take him again. It wasn't his responsibility to handle each new—and stronger than the last—asshole that blew into town causing a ruckus.

I handed Aiko her cup and she mumbled a small "thank you." I sat across from her with mine in hand. We stared at each other for a few moments, soaking in the uncomfortable silence I created. I didn't mind it. In fact, I wanted it. I wanted her to think things through.

Gingerly, she took a sip of the warm tea and I watched as the steam rose up and caressed her face.

"I understand you're just doing what you need to, Aiko," I said, grabbing her attention. She set her cup on the table and I continued. "I know you're just doing what you feel is right, and I know you're not trying to hurt Kazuma."

She nodded. "The last thing I want to do is bring it up. Kurama said the video is brutal."

"So, I want you to promise me something," I said, and her head cocked to the side in curiosity. "You can ask him about the video, but…" A filled-in eyebrow popped up in suspicion. "No matter what happens, no matter the turn of events, you do not let him get any more involved than this. He can pick out your faces, but he cannot go running head first into another fight."

"I wasn't planning on having him fight," she replied. "I didn't want to take away the safety of a normal life."

"But you knew if he offered, you wouldn't do too much to object, would you?" I accused.

Her eyes hit the table again and she grimaced. "I know… I _really_ wouldn't want to—I don't want to take anything good from him. But if he offered, and if I _really_ needed help…"

I couldn't deal with that again. I couldn't deal with wondering whether he was going to come home alive.

"You do _not_ let him help," I said, and watched her stiffen at the force in my tone. "You will lie to him if need be, Aiko. You do not tell him anything that would let him help."

She nodded.

Once Kazuma had a goal in mind, nobody could sway him from it. If he didn't know about the goal to begin with, then I'd already won half the battle.

"Because if you really need the manpower…" I paused, wondering if I should think it through anymore. I figured I didn't need to; I knew what I was doing. "I will help you."

She paused and then looked around the kitchen as if she was on a reality TV show waiting for the cameras to come out. Then, her eyes settled back on me.

"No offense, Shizuru, and I really do appreciate the offer, but… things could get dangerous. And if you can't fight…"

"Aiko." I stared her down. "If you really need the manpower, _I will_ help you."

I never went as far as Kazuma to solidify my reiki but I knew I could if I wanted. I would practice. I could handle myself. I would handle myself if it meant Kazuma could live a safe life, if he could make something of himself and be happy.

"Keep Kazuma out of it," I said, watching her face drop ever so slightly in surprise. "_I_ will help you."

We stared at each other for a while longer before Aiko's face softened. Then, she nodded. She stood up from her chair; the sudden movement's wind brushed the tea's steam after her as she headed towards the living room. She stopped right before stepping foot inside.

"I'll keep him out of this," she said, not bothering to look over her shoulder at me. "…Tell him something came up and that I'll come back another time."

And then she headed for the front door. Not even a minute later, I heard it gently open and close. I sat in the kitchen, wondering if she would be able to keep her end of the bargain. I didn't think she'd go behind my back and get him involved, but I also knew Kazuma would snoop around if she wasn't careful. He had a strong sense of justice; he wanted to do what was right. I was proud of him for that, but I couldn't bear another round of waiting to see if he'd come home alive.

I would make sure he didn't have to get involved. I would do what I could to keep him on track. I would put plaster over the wounds—whatever I needed to do to keep them from reopening—even if it ended up infected.

* * *

**Aiko.**

It was always a kind of punishment, but it felt so deserving and right. It was a disgusting version of comfort, but it was reassuring.

It was like another personality, another you, always there in the back of your head. It was your truest and most honest friend. And because of this unadulterated loyalty and trust, you believed every word. It could never lie.

But really, it was an abusive relationship you had with yourself. And like so many victims of abuse, you deny it's happening or you make excuses and blame yourself for every horrible action. It has you wrapped around its finger. You look to it for guidance and comfort and reassurance, because it's the only thing that's going to be with you in the end.

Even if it _always_ lied, in the end, it would be all you had. It was your comfort zone. It was always there for you, even in the most horrible ways.

That was why relapse was horrible.

You turned your back on it, broke its trust. You fought against it; you chose to leave it behind. But being the loving friend it was, it would always welcome you back with open arms. It gave you reassurance that you could regain control—even if it was just one little thing.

It reminded you how you couldn't survive without it, how you needed it to be strong. You aren't strong enough without it; it gives you the strength to be in control.

And that's why at first, I kept telling myself I wasn't in control that night; I told myself I did that horrible thing because I had no choice. But I was in control, and I made my decision. And it felt horrible.

I wanted to let it guide and encourage me, tell me how to feel and think, and tell me what to do. But when I looked down at myself and didn't feel the wave of self-loathing pummel me with a vengeance, I felt lost. It was still there. It caressed the shore, reminding me about everything I loathed, but it wasn't strong enough to sweep me back in. It needed a stronger tide.

It was as if it was mad at me, upset I rejected and betrayed it for so long. But it was there, beckoning to me, softly calling for me and reassuring me I could have control again—even if only over one thing. Everything else in the world could go wrong, but with it giving me the strength to control just _one_ thing, I would be fine.

I didn't want to let it have such an influence over me again, but I was scared I wasn't strong enough to stay away. I was scared that I shouldn't be in control over something else.

"No way!" Maya laughed. After I gently licked the edge of the tobacco wrapper, I looked over my shoulder to find her at the door. "I can't believe you brought that here."

With a deep breath, I shoved all my emotions down into the pit of my stomach and let them fester.

She entered the guest room Genkai provided us and sat on her futon. We didn't see this room often, but even Genkai knew there was a time when our bodies needed a break and deserved some real sleep.

It was a little past ten in the evening, and Maya and I were now lounging in our shared room. Since it was a summer night, and so still pretty warm, we had our shoji door open. It gave us a common view—the forest on the outskirts of the courtyard. Maya sprawled out on her futon in her underwear as I sat on mine rolling a sticky green plant into the tobacco wrapper. The two of us were too tired and hot to care about seeing each other in our underwear and a flimsy tank-top. We saw more revealing things during training when our clothing ripped anyway.

"You think she'll flip? I mean, we have the night off," I said, pressing the damp edge on the dry. "It'd be one thing to show up drunk in the middle of the day, but another to smoke at night before bed, yeah?"

"I think we should smoke somewhere on the staircase or in the forest," Maya thought aloud. "Not on temple grounds."

I nodded as I dug in my bag for my zippo. My hand brushed against something hard and plastic, and I remembered the slight hope I had while packing.

"Do you think Genkai would let us borrow that little CD player she has?" I asked. "Not the one in her common room, but the little one that's buried somewhere in the storage?"

"Oh, yeah," Maya replied, and then her eyes lit up. "You brought music?!" I nodded, and she immediately stood up. "I'll go get it!"

"Check for batteries!" I called after her as she ran out of the room and down the open wood hall. "I didn't bring any."

I dug into my backpack again and pulled out the lighter. I ran the flame across the damp wrapper to heat and seal it. I set it down and rummaged through my backpack again. I pulled out a pair of pajama shorts and the CD. She was back faster than I anticipated, having arrived the moment I began slipping the shorts on.

"It has batteries!" she sang, holding up the small boom box like a trophy. "Which CDs did you bring?"

"I only brought one," I replied, handing it to her. "I didn't know if this old lady was up with the times at all."

That old broad had a TV, a couple of game stations, and a myriad—no, a _sea—_of video games. She had plenty of other electronics, too. Had I known that, I would have brought more CDs. It wasn't like we had time to listen to music, but damn it if we didn't have an opportunity like this once every twelve years or so.

Maya took the CD and smirked. She turned it around so the cover faced me and she wagged it tauntingly.

"Smally Bigs?" she chortled. "Why am I not surprised?"

She set the boom box and CD down and slipped on her own shorts, and we gathered everything. Last minute, I decided to grab my compact. I would check on Suzume and see if she had anything new.

Maya carried the music and I carried the plant, and we headed to the stairs.

The temple was quiet at night. It was quiet all the time, but there was something about having a night off where the quiet was different. It wasn't looming; there wasn't any white noise in the background while you scanned the area in anticipation. It just… _was._ It was quiet. Peaceful.

Moonlight littered the trees and stone with a sheer coat and gave a surreal feeling of autumn's cold weather.

I stuck the tobacco in my mouth and flipped open the zippo. Lighting it, I opened the compact and pressed a few buttons to find Suzume.

"That's a cool gadget," Maya said, looking over my shoulder. "It's from Reikai, right?"

I nodded, and Suzume almost immediately picked up. I took a quick inhale and moved the wrapper from my mouth. Suzume looked a little different than she normally did—she seemed tired. Maybe working on her feet all day and still being a reaper was taking its toll. I didn't think souls needed sleep, but because she had a body now, maybe she did.

"All this spiritual stuff makes me so eager," Maya said wistfully, more so to herself, and looked up to the night sky. "It makes me think there really could be extraterrestrial life out there."

Her new look was definitely rough, it was meant to be edgy with her faux-hawk and dyed hair, but she looked worn down.

"Any news, Suzume?" I asked, exhaling a cloud of thin smoke. "Any patterns?"

"I've been thinking about it for about a day now." She nodded, and then yawned. "I figured they were talking about their families' companies, but the news excited her. It seemed…"

"Sadistic?" I offered.

Suzume shrugged. "Not really. It was just her diction that stuck out to me. She was talking about getting a 'new batch' at the dealership." After another small yawn, she continued. "I'm sure it means new automobiles at the dealership, but you wanted me to tell you every time she brought up the dealership."

After what happened that night out, I wondered if that had to do with other youkai that ruined their contracts. At the thought, my stomach churned, and I felt overwhelmed with guilt—sadness. I inhaled the clean air and nodded to Suzume.

"Thank you, Suzume." I forced a smile. "I'll look into it. That's definitely something. She likes handling illegal youkai so maybe that has something to do with it."

"I will keep that in mind next time I see them," she replied.

"And get some rest, yeah?" I offered. "Maybe take a day off from eavesdropping."

"I will find the time, Aiko." She smiled. "Good night."

"Night, Suzume," I said before closing the compact mirror.

I'd have to call Natsume sometime at a payphone and ask her to hang out soon. I didn't want to, really. I needed a break from her. Especially after the other night…

"Just think about it," Maya continued, sighing dreamily. "Another different race—another different world with life!"

"That's Makai," I said and took another drag.

I held the smoke in my lungs as I passed the herb to Maya.

"Yeah, but like, in _our_ dimension." She took it and put her lips centimeters from the wrapper.

I watched as she fiddled with the boom box and put in the CD. It wasn't working at first, but after slapping it a few times, it glitched to life. She passed it back to me as the first track came on.

"I don't think humans could handle life from other planets," I replied. "Humans can't even handle people who have a skin color different from their own."

We already couldn't even handle youkai, and that was the closest to "aliens" we were going to get any time soon.

"That's true," she mused. "But it'd be so amazing, wouldn't you think?"

"Yeah." I stared down the dark staircase as I inhaled.

I could only see so far before the moonlight seemed to stop touching the earth. It was surreal, and even more so as guilt churned around in my stomach. It was as if the light stopped abruptly, quickly turning into an abyss.

I remembered in junior high that I read some classic book about a guy who talked about looking into an abyss. I scoffed at the dramatics, about how the abyss stared back. Now my thirteen year old self would scoff at me, because I finally understood the feeling. The abyss stared back. I couldn't even find an ounce of obnoxious sass to laugh it off, because it felt so deserving.

Silence fell heavy around us as I stared down the staircase, and Maya up at the night sky. Crickets sang around us, scarce though they were. I briefly wondered why they never sang at the temple. I only ever heard the cicadas crying up there.

"Hey, Aiko." Maya's voice was sultry, how it usually became in this pastime.

"Hm?" I replied, exhaling and passing it back.

"I heard you crying the other night," she said, holding her breath for a moment as some smoke leaked out the small part in her lips.

…

"Oh," was all I could say as she handed it to me.

I quickly inhaled, eager to avoid talking about it. I knew she'd get it out of me, because I wanted to get it out of me. But I also wanted to pretend it never happened.

Kurama helped a lot, but I still…

Resting my wrist on my knee, I eyed the burning herb. I watched the fiery speck at the tip of the cigarillo shine as smoke snaked around it. Some of the grey rolled around my hand, and the rest softly floated to the sky.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"How much did you hear?" I asked.

"Not much because it was hard to make out words over your crying," she replied. "But I made out that you hurt someone."

I exhaled, letting the smoke sting my nostrils as it flowed out. Another part of me didn't want to tell her. Not because I didn't trust her, but because if I told another person then it… really happened. I couldn't pretend it never happened if more people knew.

Maya never did something as horrible as me. Maya never hurt someone like I had. She wouldn't understand—she wouldn't forgive me. We didn't forgive abusers.

I didn't deserve forgiveness, but good god did I want it. I wanted, more than anything, to not have done it to begin with.

"Remember Natsume and them?" I asked, feeling the cigarillo slip between my fingers. She nodded. "They're up to something, and Reikai hired me to find out what."

"It's bad, isn't it?"

I nodded. "To get close and find out what they're really doing, I have to pretend to be like them. The other night was… I guess, it was a test."

"You had to hurt a youkai?" she asked, and I took a deep inhale before holding my breath. I nodded. "Did you… Did you kill them?"

I exhaled and paused, feeling the stinging in my eyes return with a vengeance. "No, but I ruined him."

She hesitated. "Was it self-defense?"

I shook my head, feeling the sting trickle into the bridge of my nose. "I fought him, but when I ruined him, he was helpless."

I took a deep breath to steady my voice. I didn't want to cry. My head was swimming, warm—and if it wasn't for these emotions, it would've been from the skunk. And it would have felt great.

"I told myself it's for the greater good," I said, trying my hardest to keep my voice from cracking and failing miserably."If I want to expose them, I'll have to make sacrifices."

There was a moment of silence before the cigarillo slipped from my fingers again and found its way to Maya's lips.

"Aiko, look," she said, pointing up to the sky. I followed her hand. "Isn't it beautiful?"

We stared up at the starry night sky, gazing at the trail of powdered milk sprinkled in the dark. I tried remembering how beautiful it was, how lucky I was to see the sky so clear. The city lights clouded the natural beauty from space.

"Sometimes looking up at space makes me realize how small my problems really are," she said. "And it makes me feel a bit better."

I didn't deserve to enjoy this moment, I was a horrid person. I didn't deserve the peace that came with looking at the milky star trails or the lone, bright lights that stood on their own farther away. I found myself looking back down the dark staircase.

"If you ever need help, Aiko, I'm here for you," Maya said suddenly.

I sniffed and looked over to Maya, who was still gazing at the stars.

"Whether it's fighting or moral support," she continued, smiling. "I'm here for you."

"I can't ask you to—"

"Aiko." She turned to me, gave me a solid, glassy stare. "I know you. If you're fighting for a greater good, I'll fight with you." Before I could protest anymore, she cut me off again. "I've already decided that I'm going to live this kind of life. I might as well do something with what I learn. If I can help people, I want to."

A heavy pressure swelled in my chest and the stinging came back twice as hot. Warm tears spilled over my cheeks, and I quickly turned away from her and wiped them dry. But it was no use, they kept pouring out. So, thanking her in the only way I knew how, I turned back and wrapped my arms around her. She held me, leaned her head on mine, and rocked me back and forth gently, rubbing my arm every few seconds.

And throughout all her comfort, all I could think about was how I didn't deserve such a great friend. I didn't deserve Kurama. I didn't deserve all this comfort—where was that youkai's comfort? I didn't deserve to be in control of something else.

I was just as bad as the people I hated.

* * *

**Maya.**

After thirty-eight hours, our breathing synced.

After the first few hours, we stopped complaining and wondering how Genkai made a patch of the floor a sea of spikes. Instead, we tried focusing on not impaling ourselves. With one index finger, we balanced on the tip of the spike by keeping our ki wrapped tight around the point. Free hands behind our backs, we used the pressure to keep our spines straight.

_"Yusuke did it for much longer and he was fourteen," Genkai snorted at Aiko's initial complaint._

_"Yusuke was a fourteen year old with rock hard abs and the physique of Hercules. Spare me," Aiko mumbled._

_Genkai stomped on the wood floor and the spikes shot up an extra three inches, throwing us off concentration. We quickly scrambled to stay balanced._

This sucked, especially since she ran us through some martial arts the other day. Aiko and I must have enjoyed it too much because I could bet my right arm that we spent only a couple hours running through routines.

Aiko picked up Northern Shaolin Kung Fu quickly. I was far from surprised with how much she liked it; it was extravagant and explosive. I didn't mind Northern Shaolin or Bajiquan—the other she liked—but I didn't really care for them. I much preferred Tai Chi and Jujitsu.

Tai Chi was fun; I enjoyed it the most. It was graceful and fluid. When Genkai walked us through it, it was like I could feel the electric ki flowing all around me. It rolled off me in waves, briefly sparking in the air before disappearing and returning to me. It was wonderful.

Aiko grumbled all throughout Jujitsu and especially Tai Chi, but I loved them.

Some would argue learning a plethora of martial art styles at the same time was counterproductive. But it was to find something we could pick up fast and learn easily. When we found what came to us naturally, we stuck to them. If we wanted to be a Master like Genkai, we could do that on our own time, not Reikai's. For now, it was about finding something we were a natural at.

"_Northern Shaolin doesn't suit you," Miyuki said, stepping up next to me._

_I lay on the floor, with Aiko across the dojo cackling wildly. She was proud of throwing me so far._

_"What does that mean?" I huffed, out of breath._

_She shrugged as I managed to stand up. "I've always felt you would be good at Tai Chi."_

_I looked to Aiko, who was picking up the fiery footwork and speed of Northern Shaolin. She was barely scathing by Genkai's advances._

_What's the difference?"_

_"It's far more graceful. It's one of the many forms of martial arts Genkai is renowned as a Master of. But as you can guess, she knows how to do many forms of martial arts. I think it'd suit you."_

Now we were stuck here trying not to impale ourselves on fucking spikes instead.

Genkai and Miyuki didn't want to make it easy for us, either. We balanced, concentrated our ki on the tip of the spike, and dodged their random attacks that had no rhyme or reason for appearing. It was as if every time Genkai wanted to stretch her legs from playing video games for so long, she came out of the blue. We tried concentrating to see if we could hear the clacking of her console stop, so we could know when to prepare. We gave up within minutes since we couldn't hear that well. Besides, she would have found a way to sneak up on us anyway.

We felt the shift in the air, the appearance of a familiar presence. I bent my torso, twisting at an ungodly angle to steer clear of the purple whip. I pushed my ki further onto the tip, let it wrap around the spike a few inches more to provide some leverage. Even with that help, I would have fallen in the pit had the whip not made its way to Aiko. I jerked myself back upright just as Aiko pulled the same move. It startled me how sharp an angle she curved at; I worried she would snap her spine.

If she bent even a few more inches, the ki's leverage on the spike wouldn't save her.

The whip swished past Aiko again, circling back to its wielder, and so Aiko preyed on it at the last second. She swung her legs up and grabbed the whip between her ankles. Miyuki—secretly in Aiko's favor—yanked the whip towards her. Aiko used the momentum to straighten herself on the spike. Miyuki couldn't be so lenient, and so she abandoned her whip and lunged at us with her martial arts.

She alternated between the two of us, attacking in short and intermittent bursts. I was able to defend myself, having been steady for a while now. But because Aiko had just regained her balance, she was an easy target.

I felt Genkai's presence nearby, and moved out of the way just in time to avoid her lethal, flying foot. She was such a bad ass, my amazement for her talents did a complete one-eighty and turned into irritation. Genkai leisurely sipped on a freshly brewed cup of tea and used her legs to harass us like it was nothing.

She soared past me and tag teamed Aiko with Miyuki, and Aiko quickly lost balance trying to defend herself from the two. I watched her ki break from the tip—it was of no use anymore with how close she was to hitting the spikes—and her finger leave the metal. This was the closest either of us had gotten to falling off the tip, where our finger actually left its place.

She pivoted in the air—which was a feat in itself—and tried reaching for safe land. She wouldn't make it; it was too far. She was inches from the spikes before Miyuki's whip wrapped around her waist. The ogre tugged on the weapon and jerked Aiko up and away, sending her flying across the dojo and into the wood wall. With a heavy _smack,_ Aiko stuck face first to the wall. She slid down the clean wood with a trailing _squeak_ until she hit the ground, and I stayed alert for Genkai.

The old woman wasted no time kicking her talent up a notch. Coming out of thin air, she appeared before me and kicked. I flew off the spike as a heavy pain surged in my stomach and knocked the wind out of me. A sharp pain sparked in my back as I slammed into a wall, and I hit the ground with a heavy _thud_ and hissed in pain.

"You both lasted longer than I thought you would," she said, her seemingly amused voice carrying over to us from across the dojo. She took another sip from her cup. "Take a break. Be ready for the snake pit and needle bed."

The two of us groaned, and I looked to Aiko across the dojo as she sat upright.

Yukina came into the dojo and headed to Aiko first, who rightfully needed Yukina to check her out for that face plant into the wall.

"Maya," Aiko called to me. "Do you want to take the snakes or the needles?"

I shrugged. "Snakes, I guess."

"Okay," she said, quieter, as Yukina's glowing hands gently held her face.

"You okay?" Miyuki asked, stepping in front of me and extending her hand.

I nodded and heaved myself up. My legs felt like jello, and I wobbled a bit, but Miyuki helped steady me. She guided me outside the dojo to sit on the wood floor and I leaned back. Lying on the wood, Miyuki sat next to me and held up my wrist to see how bad my hands were. I could barely bend my arm, it was stuck stretched out.

Really, the only damage I had was internal. My muscles were sore and ached. Miyuki could patch me up but she couldn't heal me like Yukina, so she did me a simple favor and began bending my arm at the elbow to loosen and massage the muscles.

"Guess the snake pit will be a breather for you?" she asked.

I nodded and gave a sigh. "Yeah, it's tiring but not the same as the needle bed, you know?"

She didn't respond—at least, not to my conversation. I didn't think she'd ever bring it up again since she was so adamant in keeping quiet about it.

"It feels wrong for me to be here," she said. "Even though Yukina forgave me, it doesn't feel right."

I paused. I sat upright and looked out to the bright greenery, the beautiful forestry, around the compound.

"If you left… where would you go?" I asked, glancing to her.

"Maybe back to Makai," she mumbled. "I can't stay here if I'm not with Genkai. I'm not able to hide my… features, and anywhere that I wouldn't need to hide them is likely a criminal ring of some sort."

I sighed and looked back to the forest. The sun was close to setting, but the sky was still a pretty blue. I was going to miss her—I spent the last few months with her. Whether it was eating, training, or relaxing. We were friends. I didn't want my friend to leave.

"I'd miss you if you left," I said.

But if she wasn't happy here, I couldn't force her to stay. I wouldn't want to be part of the reason she was unhappy.

She looked to me and her red lipstick lips curved into a smile. "I'd miss you too. You, Genkai, Yukina, and even Aiko. Even though I met her, she's nice."

"You haven't spent cram school with her." I raised my voice so Aiko could hear, but when I looked over my shoulder, I saw her too busy excitedly talking to Yukina.

She was becoming animated, talking with her hands. Yukina was trying to politely… decline something. She was shaking her head and giggling, waving her hands to say "no."

I looked back to Miyuki, who looked over her shoulder at the two. "Can you hear them? Like, you have super hearing, right?"

Aiko turned to us before Miyuki could bother to eavesdrop. "Let's let Yukina play!"

"'Play.' Like this is recess," I sighed.

"I don't think Yukina would like to get rough, Aiko," Miyuki chucked.

"But she has ice powers!" Aiko said. "If she fought with that, it'd be pretty bad ass."

"I'm more of a healer," Yukina interjected timidly. "I wouldn't want to hurt anyone."

"No, you see." Aiko wagged her finger at Miyuki and then pointed to Yukina. "We don't really let each other get hurt—the idea is to get stronger and learn to evade each stronger move!"

"Aiko, why are you so hell-bent on dragging Yukina into our training?" I asked. Surely, she wasn't trying to drag _Yukina_ into her business.

"I just want to see her ice powers," Aiko said, cocking her head to the side as if she'd read my mind. She wasn't. "Like, on the offensive, not with healing." She then held her hands up in apology. "Not that your healing isn't interesting or cool, I've just never seen ice powers before. I think it'd be cool to see, is all."

"I've never used them offensively," Yukina mused. She put her finger to her lips as her eyes drifted up to the ceiling in thought. "I've never even used them defensively either." She looked to Aiko then. "I've never done anything with my youki that wasn't healing, now that I think about it."

Aiko puckered her lips in thought. "Okay, how about this? Watch our next sparing match and give it another thought, okay? If you still say 'no', I'll leave it."

Yukina gave a sigh and nodded with a small smile. "Alright, I'll watch your next sparing match."

"There isn't half a brain between all four of you." Genkai's voice came from behind us all as she walked down the other, open hallway. "I expected better from _you,_ at least, Yukina."

"So does that mean we each have less than an eighth of a brain?" I asked Miyuki, who shrugged. I groaned. "I hate fractions."

"Well, it _is_ exciting to watch them train." Yukina smiled and gave Genkai a shrug.

The old woman stopped walking. She seemed surprised at the reply with a slightly raised brow, but didn't do anything other than give a small 'hm.'

"You know how I treat my students, Yukina," she said. Her grumbles were a direct shot at me and Aiko. "Not that I'd want to deal with any more students."

I turned back to the forest as Aiko whispered to Yukina: "Don't worry, Yukina. That old witch is just here for salty remarks."

_"You_ get the needle bed this time," Genkai said.

"I'll rock that exercise!" She grinned, snickers flying out from between her teeth. "You won't be able to _pin_ me down as an idiot once I prove it!"

Genkai grimaced as Aiko cackled. I stifled laughter and looked to Miyuki to see whether she hated bad puns, but I noticed she had turned back to view the scenery. Head tilting to the side, I looked at her ponder solemnly as she stared into the distance.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

She blinked and then looked over to me, and then looked up to the tip of the trees where they touched the sky. "Just got lost in thought is all."

I looked up to the trees with her, relishing in the soft breeze that brushed by.

"If she agrees," Miyuki started, voice quiet. "I'll leave."

I stared at her, curious. Could she not stand the idea of Yukina getting hurt again? Or was she scared she'd have to fight Yukina? Could she not stand the idea of hurting Yukina again, even under lighter pretensions?

Before I could ask, Genkai's voice boomed over us.

"Let's go. Snake pit and needle bed," she called. "Before you all dream up another stupid scheme, or worse: Aiko opens her mouth again."

"I love talking to you, Master Genkai!" Aiko smiled.

Slowly, with a small grunt, I stood up.

I was still wondering how anyone could hurt another if they truly didn't want to. How could Aiko have done it to that youkai? How could Miyuki have done it to Yukina? How, if they felt so horrible afterwards? What let them do it in the first place?

Genkai led me to the forest where she kept the snake pit—it looked more like a grave. It was as deep as one, that was for sure.

As I lowered myself into the dark, damp pit, and took comfort in the soft dirt, a thought chilled me to the bone. It wasn't the hissing from the snakes pouring in, no. It was something much more fearful.

If _they_ could do something so wrong and still feel horrible afterwards, was I capable of it too?

* * *

**A/N: **Notice our team's growing? I'm all about bad ass girl gangs.

Shout outs to _ChaoticHarmony1991, YuYuHakushoObsesser, Hakudoushi-9, _and a guest for reviewing, and all y'all who followed and faved. Hearing all your thoughts about each chapter makes me feel so much better and that all of this isn't for nothing. Ciao.


	17. Descent

**A/N**:

I. Upped the rating to M. For a reason.

II. I made a yyh/fanfic blog on tumblr! The URL is on my profile. It includes chapter progresses/update notifications, yyh things in general, fanart (some of Natsume &amp; Co. and Suzume are up!), deleted scenes, etc. I hope you'll follow!

III. Thanks to _YuYuHakushoObsesser, _and _ChuyaDud, Cara_, and two other guests for reviewing. Also thanks to all whom followed/faved. No matter the shit life throws at me, all of your feedback reminds me that I have something that gives me pleasure. xoxo

IV. I planned on posting this in August but Something Bad happened and antidepressants only do so much. I rewrote this chapter many times, and individual scenes even more so. If you're going to pick out all the flaws, at least go easy on me.

* * *

**_PART IX. "Descent."_**

* * *

_"Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become one."_

\- _Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche._

* * *

**Kurama.**

The _Fuyōka no Makai Shokubutsu's _leafy wings hit the dirt below once I entered the cave. Immediately, I heard the familiar moans of the elder Toguro. His ramblings echoed deep into the tunnels after me as I made my way out. Though I knew I couldn't hear him anymore after a while, his moans played in the back of my head. *****

I was meeting with Genkai today. I'd spoken to her over the phone a couple days ago and she agreed to help me. I contacted those who I was on good terms with and they all agreed to help as well.

Genkai found an area high up in the mountains to keep their training separate from Aiko's and Maya's.

Genkai wanted me to meet her in the mountain at the training site. I figured, though, it would be polite to let Aiko know there were more youkai in the vicinity. If any of Yomi's henchmen decided to come around watch over my team, she wouldn't need to feel alarmed. I reassured her that wouldn't happen, but I'd rather her fret over them than Yomi's men.

I didn't tell her I was visiting, and so I kept my ki suppressed as I neared the temple's dojo. I stopped at the outskirts of the clearing that showed the inside of the otherwise spotless dojo.

I watched her from afar, taking note of her progress. With Maya, she spared.

Her moves were heavy, grounded, and tight. It reminded me of a bull: headstrong and fast. When not attacking, she was prepping, gathering her strength, and figuring the best approach to use it.

She'd grown more than I could have imagined in less than a month.

I noticed Yukina on the sidelines, watching with mild entertainment. Her red eyes caught me, and she gave me a small nod and smile. I returned the gestures and pressed my index finger to my lips.

She nodded and looked back to the girls.

Maya charged Aiko, and the brunette put one foot forward. With both arms bent at the elbow, up at her side, she carried herself and brought a gust of wind with her. She shoved her arms out; fists clenched, she let loose a fiery wave of ki.

It exploded, seemingly engulfing Maya, and Aiko backed away from the wild flames. The ebony haired girl leapt from the fire unscathed and charged at her friend again. Blue electricity flew from her finger tips at a mere snap of two, flying towards Aiko.

"I've put in all this work setting up training and accommodations for your team. It better not have been so you could come here to see that little gold-digger."

I looked down to Genkai, who was now at my side, and smiled. "Of course not."

"You're here?!" The familiar voice gasped, and I turned to find Aiko sprinting out of the dojo and towards me. Maya stood in the dojo, fist cocked back, with a surprised look on her face. "You came back!"

She'd jumped on me before I could protest, but I steadied myself as sturdy arms wrapped around my neck. Her grip tightened as she held me, and I heard a sigh of relief leave her lips and flow onto the crevice of my neck.

"What happened with Yomi?" she asked, pulling away. "Why are you back so soon?"

"Business for Yomi," I replied, resting my hand on the small of her back. "I'm gathering some fighters to help with the cold war tensions in Makai."

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I remember you mentioned that."

I turned to Genkai. "Are they here, or have you already moved them up the mountain?"

"They're up the mountain," she replied, heading into the forest. "Still waiting on a few stragglers but they know where to go."

"I'll see you in a few hours," I said, following after her.

"Okay!" She was heading back to the dojo with Maya.

As I followed Genkai into the forest, I took one last glance over my shoulder to Aiko. She stood with Maya and now bore a slack jaw and wide eyes. Maya looked over her shoulder to me, and our eyes met briefly.

I turned back around and continued on my way. I wanted to say the simple exchange didn't bother me, but it did.

I hadn't done anything to upset Maya, so all that left was…

The dojo in the mountains was longer than it was wide and dimmer than the temple. It was dusty, seemingly unused in decades, but the floors and walls held up fine and strong. There was no sign of mold.

I greeted Jin, Touya, and Rinku, and they informed me the rest were on their way. The reunion was pleasant as we exchanged stories of our lives over the past few months. And though I enjoyed speaking to them all again, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy when Genkai interrupted us. Genkai ordered them to clean the place before they began; I slipped out and headed back to the compound.

I didn't know which of them to expect when I returned, but it only seemed right that it would be Aiko waiting for me. She sat in the open hallway, legs resting off the edge of the wooden floor. With her elbow on her knee and her face in her hand, she bore a tired expression.

I sat next to her and she glanced over to me with a small pout.

"She overheard me call you 'Kurama' on the phone," she sighed. "I can't believe I didn't catch it before."

"I assumed you told her," I noted.

She shook her head. "Not exactly my place to tell."

"So she thinks I'm a regular person like you, caught up in the supernatural."

She nodded. "I figured if you wanted to tell her anything, you would."

"And so she's upset."

"Yeah, kind of," she replied.

"You can tell her—"

"I'm not telling her," she said curtly. "And I'm not lying to her. I told her if you wanted to tell her anything, you would. Besides, just telling her you're not human may not cut it."

"And why is that?" I turned my gaze to the edge of the forest ahead.

There was a pause, and then a curious hum. "A while back, she said something about you. When she 'first' met you." A small twinge struck my stomach, and she continued. "She said she never really talked to you in junior high, but she felt like she did. Like there's something she was forgetting."

"There's no reason for her to associate my real name with her lack of memory," I replied.

"Yeah, well... make your decision." She shrugged. "If she confronts me again, I'm sending her to you. You can decide what to do."

I felt a smile tugging on my lips. "I erased them to prevent her from getting tied into this kind of world."

"You didn't stop me when I said I was bringing her here," she grumbled.

"Because you're her friend," I replied. "And you know how to help her."

"You could have asked me not to."

"And what other solution did you have if I stopped you?"

"I don't know…" she grumbled again.

There was a beat of silence between us. "Perhaps there is no point in keeping it a secret."

"You erased her memories because—"

"Because she found out whom I was, and a youkai kidnapped her."

She whistled unenthusiastically. "Maybe you can let her _not_ relive that trauma."

"It's possible," I replied. "Even if I did tell her, I could never bring her memories back. There would be a gap in time for her, small though it is."

"So you think it's better she continues to never know?" she asked.

"I could tell her it happened, but she could never get those memories back," I repeated. "It could instead cause issues between us now."

"Should have thought of that ahead of time, huh?"

"I didn't plan on interacting with her again, let alone her falling into this kind of life." I side-glanced to her, and she pouted and averted her gaze from me. "As I said, this was exactly what I was avoiding."

With an exasperated sigh, she stood. "I'm not going to tell you to tell her, or to not tell her, or how much to tell her. Do what you think is right for you both, okay?"

She extended her hand to me and gave me a small, sympathetic smile. I felt myself smiling as I grabbed her hand.

She led me around Genkai's compound in search of Maya as I contemplated what to do. Maya was always a kind-hearted person, understanding. She had a wild imagination, but she always thought to find the good in people first. She hadn't changed much from junior high, from what Aiko told me.

What could telling her do? Other than spark distrust or hurt feelings?

I wondered why I even cared—I made the most rational choice I could have at the time to save both her and myself. It was selfish of me, yes, but I made sure to only touch the events we shared and nothing else.

But it bothered me now, I realized as I looked down to Aiko. Her fingers laced loosely through mine, guiding me through the hallways.

_"Don't touch me."_

She led me out of the hallway and into the courtyard.

_"_—_don't do _anything_."_

Aiko stopped walking and nodded to Maya, who was stretching in the middle of the courtyard.

"It's up to you," she said quietly. "If you want to make a break for it before she turns around, the common room is a couple yards that way." Her fingers left mine and then she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.

Maya, with her back turned to us, surely knew we were both here. Aiko turned on her heels and headed to the common room, leaving me alone to decide.

Maya was always a curious spirit; adventurous was an understatement. Telling her would not only have to be an apology for violating her psyche, but also from keeping her from the world she always wished to see.

The reality, though, was that I didn't owe her any of this. I did what I _had_ _to do _to protect my identity…

"Ah, Minamino," Maya said, her voice tainted with suspicion despite the welcoming smile. "How nice to see you again."

I met her halfway, stopping where the grass met the rough dirt of the courtyard. "It's nice to see you too, Kitajima."

"Oh, call me Maya." She smiled. "I feel it's only right."

"Then you may call me Kurama, if you want."

She smirked and snorted softly. "She put you up to this?"

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," I replied.

"I guess so." She crossed her arms over her chest. "So, _Kurama_, is that your superhero name?"

I laughed. "No, it's my real name."

She paused. "What does that mean?"

"It means it's my real name. It's the name I've always gone by."

"But your name at school—"

"That is my real name as well, I suppose. The name I was born with."

She paused again, frowned, and furrowed her brows. "…You're beating around the bush."

"I'm waiting for you to ask a question so I can answer it."

Her frown deepened. "And what question is that?"

"Any question."

She blinked a few times and then cocked her head to the side. She looked down at the ground in thought before looking back up at me—this time, a bit surprised.

"She told you about what I said, didn't she?" she mumbled.

"That you felt you knew me from somewhere," I answered. "Knew me more than you thought you did."

"So I was right…" she mumbled, hand covering her mouth in thought as her eyes hit the ground again. "But I don't know why. I thought it was just like… déjà vu or something. I didn't really think…"

"When we were in junior high, you confessed I was your first love," I said, and she choked on the saliva in her throat. I tried containing the sly, teasing grin that was undoubtedly forming on my face.

She began coughing, and her face turned beet red. "I—I didn't! Did I?!" she gasped. "I did _not_!"

"I assure you, you did." I smiled.

"Oh my god," she gasped, hands flying to her face. "No wonder I don't remember—I must have repressed it. The rejection must have been horrible."

"Actually, it wasn't," I reassured her.

She turned rigid like stone, face still burning. "Huh?"

"I don't think I turned you down harshly," I mused, remembering the day after school. "I'll admit it wasn't the most _polite_ way to reject someone, but it was far from embarrassing."

Confused, brown eyes flickered up at me.

"Okay, but… I don't remember any of it," she grumbled, and then paused. "So if it wasn't horrible, why don't I remember any of it?"

I waited for her to question me. I didn't want to outright tell her, especially if she didn't want to hear it.

"Why don't I remember it?" she asked again, this time staring up at me. "I don't remember… My parents said I had a nasty fall and hit my head in junior high. It left some things fuzzy but… if you were my 'first love', why don't I remember you? I knew _of_ you in junior high but…"

And the confusion turned into pleading; she wanted nothing more than to remember what I took from her.

"Even if I tell you, it wouldn't really bring the memories back," I replied.

Her eyes narrowed in skepticism. "What does that mean?"

There was a beat of silence, and then another, louder beat.

"Would you like me to tell you everything that led to you forgetting about us?" I asked.

She stared at me, disbelief growing, but nodded anyway.

And so I told her. About how she confessed her childhood love to me; how she got caught up in Yakumo's—the youkai—plan and was used against me; how to spare her a paranoid, fearful life, and to save my identity, I erased her memories of our interactions.

And she stood there, staring up at me, face softening with each word. By the end, her arms that crossed over her chest fell to her sides.

She looked at the ground in thought once more. It was as if she _wanted_ to be mad, but didn't know _how_ to be. She wanted to be upset that I took this life from her to begin with, but couldn't remember the loss of much aside from me and a horrible experience.

Then, she looked up to me with confusion. "But you knew Aiko was going to bring me here to help me, right?"

I nodded.

"…But you erased my memories to keep me from knowing about this."

"More so to keep you from knowing who I am, my real identity."

"And you didn't think that could have led us here?"

"Aiko's your friend," I replied with a shrug. "And she thought the best way to help you was to bring you here. I figured whatever happened would happen."

Her nostrils flared briefly and she inhaled sharply. Her lips puckered into a pout and she returned to looking at the ground in thought.

"I'm pissed, yeah," she mumbled, tapping her foot impatiently. "But you didn't take much from me, I know that. Just my memories of you, and of this world."

"And for taking away your knowledge of everything you've ever dreamed of knowing, I'm sorry."

She snorted a small laugh. "I'm mad, but..." She lifted her head up to look at the sky as a soft breeze pushed past us. "There's nothing I can do about it."

"I apologize as well for invalidating whatever choice you may have wanted."

She shrugged at that. "I guess I can see why you did it, to save your identity. It pisses me off, but still. Not much I can do about it. Not much either of us can do about it… Unless you can time travel."

I found myself grinning. "I've yet to master that."

I had nothing more to say, but the air was less clear between us now than it had been before. It didn't feel right to leave it like this.

"Besides, in a way…" She brought her head down and gave me a toothy grin as the wind swept by us again. "I guess that means I was destined for this world."

My grin turned to a softer smile, as I wasn't really surprised at her lightheartedness.

"And, the fact you're apologizing," she continued. "I know it's because of Aiko, but I also know she can't _make_ you do anything." She glanced over her shoulder to look at the compound. "But I suppose I'm glad things turned out this way. She needs someone like you."

My smile disappeared; I was taken back.

She looked to me, smile growing. "In a way, it's good you did what you did back then. Otherwise, I may have stolen you."

She gave me a playful wink, and I found myself laughing. I didn't bother telling her it could have been a possibility. But that was then, and this was now.

"She's grown for you," she said, opening her arms wide as she looked around the compound. "And I've grown for _this_."

"Maya." A female voice called, and the two of us glanced to the open hallway to find a grey ogre. "Genkai wants you to help Yukina prep dinner."

"Okay!" she called back. "I'll be there in a minute." And then she turned to me with a stern voice. "But in all seriousness, you're lucky that decision worked out for you. Just know that next time you do something like that—it might not."

"Of course." I nodded. "Not everyone is like you, Maya."

She gave me another smile and turned on her heels. Before she got too far away, she sent me one last glance. "Be the guy Aiko sees you as, okay? This is the closest I've seen her with a guy since the train incident. I'd hate to see you ruin that by being the kind of man she hates."

…So she knew.

"It seems lately, that's what I've been trying to do," I replied.

She gave me a curt nod before running towards the ogre, leaving me alone to think.

* * *

**Aiko.**

After we finished our classroom chores, Kurama and I headed off campus. School was in session, and with that came bright green leaves and perky blue skies, and a mountain of assignments and exams that ensured we would never see them if we wanted to pass. Idle chatter lingered with us under heavy branches; small talk about normal routine eased our minds.

Conversations about mutual friends and classmates, and upcoming school events and the like, made the past summer break seem like a far off memory, a dream. Of course, though, with just one word, regardless of its usage in the current context, our talk would derail and switch gears back into the obvious reality.

"So, wait. Is Yomi letting you stay here on weekends to train those guys?" I asked. "Or do you have to go during the week?"

But there was no response, and the comforting sound of his shoes scuffling on the concrete next to me had stopped.

I stopped then as well and looked over my shoulder to him. He was looking over his, out at the street. A black sedan was driving down the relatively empty residential road we'd turned onto a while ago.

Black sedans were one of the most popular cars in the nation—probably even the world. If I ever saw one, though, it had to be one of the girls'.

Kurama moved himself in front of me as the black sedan pulled up to the sidewalk.

"Natsume?" I whispered.

He shook his head gently. "The one who smells of hair product—Fukui."

Fukui? Why her? Why _alone_?

She never ventured off without Natsume—she never really had a choice, especially not now that she lived with her. Maybe it was a trap.

The car stopped and I inched around Kurama to see the back window roll down. With the tinted windows disappearing came the stench of rubbing alcohol.

"Is she…?" I whispered.

He nodded.

Drunk. Or, at least, hungover.

The first thing I noticed about her was her disheveled hair. It was always long—_very_ long; she couldn't afford to have it knotty and tangled like she had it. She wore large sunglasses as well; the same kind I wore when I was too hungover to function in sunlight.

"Get in." Those two words worried me, not because of what may be waiting for me if I listened, but because of the tone they carried.

She always had a kind of monotone intonation. Ever since winter break, it became more and more exhausted, like it was a strain to speak. Like conversation was a chore. She became less and less happy over the months, and more and more reserved.

But the tone worried me now. It was monotone, but more importantly, _strained_. She was forcing herself to keep reserved.

"And leave your boyfriend." To top off the eerie atmosphere, I couldn't tell whether she was looking at me or at the headrest in front of her.

Kurama didn't budge, and I was still busy trying to put this all together. Confused and unsure, I found myself looking up to Kurama.

"Trust me, Aiko," Fukui said. "You'll want to hear this."

Kurama knew her aura and smell, so if I disappeared he could hunt her down.

I smiled to Kurama and patted his arm. "I'll see you for dinner tonight?"

His eyes hadn't moved from Fukui, and his tone stayed calm. "Same time as usual."

Eight o'clock.

I handed him my schoolbag and he took it, still boring his stare into the side of Fukui's head. She remained unfazed at the silent threat. I stepped off the sidewalk and rounded the car. Before getting in the backseat, I gave Kurama a lingering glance. He nodded but refused to move.

I settled in the backseat. As the car began moving, I began worrying.

If they figured me out, I didn't know why they'd send _Fukui_ after me. Was it because I'd expect her to be the one least likely to pick me up before they slaughtered me? She didn't care about anything anymore, really. Perhaps she would make a good middle man because of that.

The hum of the car's engine filled the silence during the quiet drive, but it did nothing to ease the tension weighing upon us. I kept my gaze out the window, noting landmarks we passed. The drive seemed to last a while, but I knew it was only because I was anxious.

That anxiety turned into confusion as we pulled into a parking lot, and my brows knitted together in confusion as I scanned the bright structures in the distance. I could hear the laughter and screams; see the little bodies running around.

She took me to the local park.

We rolled to a stop and I looked to her for an explanation—except she'd already exited the vehicle. The door slammed behind her and I glanced up to the rearview mirror in hopes of the driver enlightening me. But of course, he ignored me—stared straight out the windshield. His expression was the emotional equivalent of watching paint dry.

I let myself out of the car and followed Fukui across the sunny park. She stayed to the outskirts of the playground, avoiding attention from the families and active children. She was well aware of how she looked, which was surprising.

If there was one thing the girls had in common that was their own trait—bred and nurtured from their core—it was that they hated not looking their absolute best at all times. At. _All._ Times. Even if they'd just had a kidney removed.

Her clothes were clean, but plain. She toned her fashion down towards graduation last year, but even this was plain for her. White t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.

Unkempt, matted hair, and hunched over with a shaky, slow walk. I could smell the breakdown a hundred kilometers away, but what triggered it, I had no idea. ******

I wanted to be able to feel for Natsume or Hayashi—but I couldn't do it in such a crowded area. Especially not in such a crowded area with a bunch of kids roaming around. Kids are always a bit more spiritually aware.

I figured they wouldn't be here to take me out; they'd need someone that could really get the job done. I wouldn't know whose aura to feel for anyway.

She led me to a bench at the far end of the park, away from all the families and commotion. Two little cement benches faced each other with a table wedged between them. I stopped as the grass turned to dirt, and watched as she settled herself on the edge of a bench.

She waited for me to sit across from her, and I waited for her to catch the hint that it wasn't happening on any level. If I couldn't get out of here fast, I wasn't doing it. I coughed into my fist and cleared my throat, and with a sigh, she held herself like she was about to be sick. Crossing one leg over the other, her foot bounced timidly on the floor.

She made it even more uncomfortable by not saying anything. If they were ambushing me the least they could do was _do it already_.

"Why did you break his spine?" she asked suddenly.

A sharp pang below my ribs. Guilt's hand gripped my heart.

"Because he would have gotten away again," I replied smoothly.

I worried she found me out. It's always the fucking silent one in the corner.

She grunted and then cocked her head to the side. "It seems you really want to be one of us."

My limbs itched to move—legs shook with anticipation to bolt. I couldn't show fear. I couldn't be defensive. That would show defeat.

Anxiety brewed in my stomach as she continued mumbling. "You really want to learn from Akane, huh?"

And with each word, her voice cracked, becoming less and less monotone. She showed emotion for the first time in a long time, and that was scarier than anything else. It was harsh; feeling was breaking through the wall she placed up long ago.

I pursed my lips and kept my face a clean slate.

"Yeah…" She nodded slowly, and then more feverishly. "Yeah, you want to learn from her. You do. Yeah…"

The situation was so strange, everything was becoming surreal. The children's laughter and screams of delight turned to fuzz in the background of my mind. She was beginning to scare me.

"You really want to learn from her." She continued nodding, and then stopped. And then her head jerked up to face me. "That's why you were snooping around in her father's office all those months ago, right?"

I'd plunged into the depths of the Antarctic. Trapped underneath the largest iceberg, every nerve and muscle, every liquid, turned cold. And then, as time slowed, and the air grew heavier, my head grew lighter. Throbbing in my head, blood rushed around and left my limbs—I panicked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I managed a shrug.

I kept my face stern best I could. I knew the reply was lousy and likely to get me strapped to the guillotine, but it was all I could muster.

She scoffed, a heavy bout of air flying out her nostrils. "Why are you _really_ digging your grave with Akane, huh, Aiko? What's your angle with all this?"

Anything I could think to retort with would be a clear cut sign of defeat. My best bet was to stay quiet. If she was going to rat me out to Natsume, I would use this breakdown against her—"she's crazy, look!"

Natsume _may_ fall for it; it wasn't like it was entirely untrue. She _was_ having a breakdown.

She rocked back and forth, foot still bouncing on the floor, as she waited for me to respond. After a few seconds, she took the hint and muttered something to herself under her breath. Then she looked back up at me. I couldn't see her eyes behind the glasses, but I could feel the heat radiating from her eyes and boring into me.

"Akane's going to call you soon about a 'new batch.'" The wall she'd put up was crumbling—_fast_. "She's going to invite you up for a night."

"…Okay."

"Make sure you agree to come," she paused to clear her throat, to keep her voice steady. "Because I can't do this anymore."

…What?

I felt my nose scrunch a bit in confusion. "You're not going to be there?"

"No, I will…"

There was something about a person's voice when they're trying to hold back sobs. Anyone with a decent amount of empathy would have their heart strings tugged at and have to repress their own tears. The way their voice dialed up a notch or two. The way their breath stuttered in their throat—like they knew what they wanted to tell you was a burden but they couldn't stop going even if they wanted. The way the words that were so prevalent and repeating in their head suddenly couldn't find their way out…

It was disgustingly, dangerously vulnerable, and to see it in Fukui downright terrified me.

"But I can't do this anymore. I can't _do_ this."

I stepped towards her, hand cautiously reaching for her to offer some kind of comfort. "…Do what?"

She clenched her teeth to keep her face from contorting into obvious despair as tears spilled down her cheeks from under the glasses. Her breathing hitched, and my hand trembled to a stop as she snapped.

"I know you're up to something, Aiko, you have to be! You _have to be_! And I need you to do it. Whatever it is, I need you to do it."

Heart beating in my throat, I lost touch with my senses. I wasn't hot, cold, light, or heavy.

Breath lodged in my throat; my heart stopped beating.

I gave a pitiful chuckle. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't do this anymore, Aiko," she cried. "I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore."

"Work for Barrier Reg?"

She shook her head, crumbling into herself as she trembled. "I can't sleep anymore. I can't focus. I can't do it anymore. I can't do it anymore."

"Fukui…" I remembered the last time I saw her cry, and I remembered I didn't want to be the one who did that again.

"I can't live with myself anymore," she cried. She raked her fingers through her long hair and pulled at the roots. "I can't do this anymore."

I knelt in front of her, on the small patch of concrete that lay around the bench.

"You need to accept," she cried and ripped off her sunglasses to look at me with bloodshot, dark rimmed eyes. "You need to accept. I know you're up to something, Aiko. I need you to do it—accept her invitation."

"Fukui… You have to tell me what's going on—what's wrong."

She shook her head, and a thin trail of snot leaked out of her left nostril. "I can't—I _can't_. I never told anyone."

"You can tell me if it'll make you feel better," I offered.

She shook her head and curled into herself like she had that night, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Just say 'yes'," she sobbed. "Say 'yes' so I won't have to do this anymore."

"Do _what_?" I stressed. "You can say it—whatever it is, Fukui. Come on."

"I've never told anyone," she snapped. "And I never can! I can't even look at myself anymore—how could anyone else?!"

And there it was: Fukui, Hitomi, had cracked.

"Who would want to look at me knowing this?" she whimpered. "How could anyone…"

"Come on," I said softly, reaching for her shoulders. "Let's get back to the car…"

She jerked away from me, inhaling sharply. I pulled them away to show I wouldn't use them again.

"You can find your own way home," she mumbled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Yes, when you dropped me off clear across town. Thanks.

"You sure you don't want me to take you to the car?" I offered.

"I don't want to go back." She shook her head. She began rocking back and forth on the bench, cradling herself. "I can't go back. I can't go back."

She leaned on the table, hid herself from me, and I stayed kneeling in front of the bench. I listened to her repeat the same sentence for what felt like minutes before standing up. I knew she wanted me to leave, but it pained me to leave her like this again.

I walked across the park, back to the car. I didn't want this to be the second time we met, seeing as how the first was similar…

I knocked on the tinted driver's window, and it began to roll down.

An older man, old enough to be her father, sat behind the wheel. Silver strands of hair littered his mustache, which shielded his lips, and his matching eyebrows naturally drooped down to give a sad expression.

"Uh…" I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't bring my mouth to close. "She's… She's across the park and she's kind of… She snapped."

He nodded and looked out the windshield to see her tiny figure in the distance.

"And, well, I don't need a ride and she doesn't want me to be around her right now, so I thought I'd let you know." I looked over my shoulder to see her. And with the eerie wave of guilt that washed over me, I looked back to the driver. "She really needs help."

And then he turned his gaze back to me, and tired brown eyes rested on mine. "I hope you can give it to her, then."

He didn't break eye contact, and I began to feel self-conscious, alert. I didn't know what route this excursion would take but I never thought it'd go down this road. I didn't like this—I couldn't tell what was happening anymore.

"I'll… be going, then," I mumbled before bowing.

He nodded to me, and I walked away as fast as I could without seeming too… rude? Suspicious? I didn't know; I just knew I shouldn't let them see me run.

She knew it was me behind the door this whole time! Did she not say anything to Natsume or Hayashi? How could she not?

_Why_ would she not?

What if she did, and this entire time I was infiltrating, _they_ were playing _me_?

What invitation was I supposed to accept? Could it be a trap?

Rummaging for my compact in my blazer pocket, I called Suzume and told her to keep an eye on Fukui in Tohoku. I then called Koenma, which I immediately regretted.

"No!" he snapped over the compact. He was lucky I was in the empty streets of a residential neighborhood. "Everything's been compromised then! You said they didn't see you!"

But we agreed that, despite everything, I should still go. If my cover was blown, so be it. He would send me back-up. And if all failed, he'd find another person, a different entryway, into Border Patrol's secrets. I'd... just have to be the sacrifice to pave the way...

I called Kurama the second I returned home. Waiting for him to arrive, I set up the kitchen to help prep dinner. Minoru wouldn't be home for another fifteen minutes. Mami and her older brother would drop him off from ballet lessons.

Kurama and Minoru arrived at roughly the same time, and I sent Minoru into the living room to watch TV. Kurama and I headed to my room, and he sat at my desk as I closed the door behind me. I took one big breath to calm my nerves.

"I'm worried I'm walking into a trap," I sighed, plopping down on the bottom bunk.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"That Natsume's going to call me," I replied. "And that I need to accept her invitation. She's also the one that… uh, oh." I paused, index finger finding its way to my lips in thought. "I never told you."

A red eyebrow popped up in curiosity.

"A few months back, I went snooping around in Natsume's father's study," I explained. "I was almost caught, but couldn't figure who it was. Apparently, it was Fukui."

His green eyes lit up in excitement. "So you suspect she told Natsume, and they've been tricking you the entire time."

When he said it aloud, it became a reality, and it was that much scarier. Taking another deep—and this time shaky—breath, I nodded.

"Would you like me to stay close then?" he offered, and I shook my head.

"You know I don't want you near them," I sighed, unable to keep the smile of gratitude from my face. "I'm going to ask Maya to stay nearby that night."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Maya?"

"Yeah. She offered to help me, whether it's fighting or moral support," I replied. "I don't want you or Kazuma involved, and she lives for the thrill of an adventure."

"Aiko, you need someone who can help... immediately," Kurama said.

"Maya can help… I think we'll be fine!" I grinned. "Maya and I are a great team." When he didn't seem convinced, I compromised. "And besides! If things go wrong, I'll have her contact Botan to get Koenma to call someone. It'll probably be you."

He seemed almost satisfied with that since he didn't protest or point out another flaw in my plan.

"You need to trust me, Kurama," I said, forcing a hopeful smile. "I'm sure I'll be able to handle myself."

"Your ki has grown significantly these past few months, as have your fighting abilities," he agreed. But because his voice was collected and trained, I knew there was a catch to his praise. "But if you were to cross paths with even a C level being, you would struggle… and likely lose."

I paused and frowned. "What 'level' am I right now?"

"When we first met, you were exceptional for a human, but not uncommon," he replied. "A solid E-level, one of the lowest levels that often contains spiritually aware humans."

"And now?"

"I could be wrong," he started. "But I would guess you're at a solid D level, closing in on upper D."

I nodded, a bit upset that my ki level was as low on a grading scale as my academics. "Which is usually…?"

"Most youkai you've come face to face with," he said. "Like Goki, for instance."

With another deep inhale, I accepted the fact. It was fairly strong—for a human, at least. "Then I should be fine. I mean, I don't think Natsume wants youkai working for her anyway, so the most she'd have ambushing me is a bunch of…"

Now that I thought about it, I didn't know _how_ she'd ambush me. We didn't have much time to think about it. The phone in the living room began ringing.

* * *

**Maya.**

Being out in the mountains for so long made the city feel strange. It was overwhelming with all the ki, but I adjusted quickly and with ease. I realized how heavy the city felt, with people walking by and their essence lingering ever so slightly.

The feeling of being watched, surrounded, was another thing I adjusted to quickly, chalking it up to the sheer amount of people in the vicinity. My transition was smooth, and I was able to focus on the things I felt mattered just a tad more.

The city sky looked sad, empty. Street lights and illuminated windows substituted for stars, and subsequently drowned them out. It made me feel lonely. Out in the mountains, even if I was alone, the stars were out—it was like the whole world and _more_ was with me. It was comforting, beautiful, and jubilant.

Despite the dull stars in civilization, I got to see something just as beautiful. The way we created our homes, our streets, and our communities. Life flourished in the city even in the dead of night, just as life flourished in the mountains.

It was a different kind of beauty, civilization. Nature was extraordinary, but civilization was something just as amazing. Nature—_we_—created civilization.

With a half-eaten bag of chips and a neglected, albeit open, magazine, I gazed out over the quiet city atop a local building roof. It was only a little past eleven but this side of the city was quiet. It would have been nice to see more people, especially after so long, but I didn't mind all too much. It was nice just to appreciate the city for what it was.

Biting into the crisp potato chip, I looked down to the compact in my hand. My thumb rubbed the smooth, olive green top as I remembered its basic functions.

_"I'm getting one?" My eyes glued to the compact._

_First, I got to meet a Guide—someone who delivered souls!—and then I got my own Reikai-issued compact?! This was the coolest thing to happen in a while._

_"Aiko said you wanted to help, so I'm here to give you a compact she can contact you with." The blue haired beauty smiled._

_I was still in awe of her, struck by her unusual but still so natural colors, and couldn't form many words. I was far too overloaded with all the amazing stuff happening at the moment._

_"The color flashing on the mirror indicates who's calling." She explained. "Mine will be pink, Aiko's is purple, and Suzume's is gold."_

_"So then mine is green." I grinned and looked at the cover, and she nodded._

I hadn't gotten to use it yet. Ideally, for the situation, I wouldn't have to.

_"If I don't get out of there in eight hours, that's when you call for help," Aiko explained. We both knew that was a more than generous amount of time, but we needed it just in case. "If something happens to me, I'll send you an emergency call."_

_"How's that different from a normal call?" I asked._

_"My color won't flash, it'll just stay there. The beeping will be erratic."_

_I nodded. "So that means call for back up and get in there to help you."_

Upon the roof, I looked over the dealership that lay across the street. The staff left a good five hours ago, with who I assumed to be the boss leaving at roughly eight.

My free hand found its way into the bag again. I relished in the salty, succulent crunch of the chips I shoved in my mouth. I brushed the crumbs off my denim as I scoured the streets again. A few cars came by, but none of them stopped at the dealership.

Just as I finished the bag, I saw another pair of headlights in the distance. I wasn't too eager, since it may not be them again, but the car pulled up to the dealership's curb.

I ducked under the roof's ledge and peaked over it, feeling the rough cement scuff my denim and palms. I watched the back doors open, and they stepped out. I recognized Aiko's black kitten heels first, and locked my sight on her.

She was alert, but played it off well. After training with her for so long, I could read her body language much better than before. Though she was nervous, she was able to play it off because she knew I was watching over her. I was here; she wasn't alone.

They headed toward the glass building, weaving through the sea of cars.

It surprised me that they didn't stop at the main building, but instead headed to the back.

The mechanic's workshop.

When the four of them disappeared into the smaller building, I took a deep breath and looked at the watch on my wrist.

_Eight hours, Aiko,_ I thought. _Good luck. Stay safe._

* * *

**Aiko.**

The workshop, void like the dealership, was fairly small. It held three automobiles, all parked on car lifts at various heights. Natsume led us through the small customer service lobby and then into the garage floor. She rambled about various subjects—classes and fashion—as we stepped over loose cables, grease spots, and tool chests.

Natsume led us to another door, which was… a break room? It was fairly luxurious to be a break room, with the décor resembling her mother's office. But of course, that's what it was, with leather chairs, coffee tables, and a small kitchenette that held coffee and pastries during the day. Fake plants perched around the room and expensive-but-looked-inexpensive paintings hung from the walls.

Natsume stopped in the middle of the room and turned on her heels to face me. With one hand planted on her hip, she pointed the other behind me at the ceiling. Looking over my shoulder, I found a small, black eye in the sky: a security camera.

Despite being recorded plenty of times in the dealership, tonight was different. I didn't know what route this would take. Unease rumbled in my stomach.

"The cameras stop here, but you've been recorded," she said.

"Okay…" I glanced back to her.

"When it's reviewed, officials will be under the assumption you've participated. So you won't be able to leave if you don't."

"Participate in...?"

"Tonight, I'm going to show you more of the truth." She smiled. "In hopes of making your conscious and worry about hurting them disappear."

My front teeth bit into the inside of my bottom lip, sparking a dull pain.

"I know actually doing it is much harder than just saying you could do it." She nodded. "But you proved you can handle it, and with more exposure, you can get over it."

Not again…

"And so, I'm taking this risk on you," she said. "So you'll have to take part."

"What happens if I don't?" I asked.

Honestly, what could be worse than what I'd already done?

She shrugged. "I'd have to kill you."

Breath caught in my throat, my stomach sunk deep inside me.

She laughed, walking towards me. "What? You didn't see that cliché coming?" She cupped my face in her hands, smiling down at me. "It's protocol. What I show you here, you have to be an active—but _silent_—part of, else you disappear off the face of all three realms."

I couldn't think of a safe response. I clamped my lips shut and stared at her.

"And trust me," she said, patting my cheek as she let go of my face. "Reikai knows how to make _everything_ go their way."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I made sure my voice stayed steady and my tone innocently curious. "What is this, then?"

"Like I said: the truth. What we do to protect our realm." She walked to the opposite wall.

I looked around the room again, wondering what we could do in such a small breakroom. My eyes landed on the colorful painting Natsume stopped in front of. I noticed it hung awful high now that she was in front of it.

It reminded me of a Monet, and in fact… I was sure it was. I couldn't help but think I saw the painting before in an Art History class.

Women in the Garden. It hung about a foot over her head.

She reached for the wall, slipping her hand behind one of the fake plants. I leaned over a bit to see what she was reaching for: a small dent in the wall, curled inward slightly. Her fingers curled into the dent and a blue light shone from the interior. There was a small _click_, and she planted her feet firmly in the nice carpet as she pulled on the dent.

She heaved the wall—no, the _door_—and it slid open to reveal a long, steep staircase. The only light were the tiny bulbs lining the stairs along the wall.

She looked over her shoulders to me with an excited grin as Hayashi and Fukui headed into the staircase. "Welcome to our operation's floor."

Natsume stepped inside next, and before I followed suit, I felt myself looking up at the Monet once more. With a frown and furrowed brows, I stepped into the darkness.

The descent felt long, which could have been from the building anxiety in my chest. They stayed close in front of me, descending with routine leisure in the pale yellow lighting. Soon, the yellow lighting dimmed, overpowered by the large rectangle of light in the distance.

Stepping out of the staircase, I winced at the pain of my eyes adjusting. Uniformed men were the first to meet my clear gaze. Their dark attire resembled that of decorated officers, with their berets shadowing their faces.

The only thing scarier than their above-average build and obvious trained-in-combat aura was the fact they looked like clones of each other.

A crude taste crept up the back of my throat at the sight of them, and the one on the left spoke first.

His voice was hard and leveled. "Protocol, Miss Natsume."

"Yeah, yeah," she said flippantly, waving her hand at them. She then latched onto my shoulder. "Right here."

I followed her gaze and my eyes landed on a little device planted on the wall I just passed. Next to the staircase was a strange panel, it reminded me of an intercom system at apartments. Instead of a speaker, it just had a black screen.

"Place your hand on it," she said. "It'll scan your ki and hand-print."

"You didn't, though," I noted.

"The door upstairs does it," she replied, patting me on the back and nudging me to the panel.

It unnerved me for them to have my prints, but I tried calming myself by remembering I'd touched many a things without gloves around them. I placed my hand on the panel, and let it glow a soft purple. The silver panel flickered a red light, and then a red line scanned from the tip of my fingers to the bottom of my palm.

And then I was done.

"Hojo, Aiko," Natsume said to the guards, jabbing her thumb at me. Hayashi and Fukui were next to sign in. "Hopefully a wonderful addition to our operation."

The guards stepped forward, and I stopped myself from taking an instinctual step back. Natsume said to "stand straight" and "not worry." I tensed as the two neared us, and I clenched my jaw as one's hands gripped my shoulders.

Heavy, rough hands frisked me from top to bottom, and I held my breath. After patting my ankle, gripping it tightly for a brief second, he stood and nodded to his comrade. I breathed a quiet, heavy sigh of relief as he moved on to Hayashi.

After checking our purses, they cleared us, and Natsume led the way.

She weaved us through shiny, silver metal hallways. Small plaques on the doors with equally small print were readable, sparkling clean even, under the fluorescent lighting. There were no security cameras, but in the crevices of the ceiling and walls, every couple of yards, were the little papers I'd been searching for.

Their parchment blended in nicely with the walls despite the difference in colors. Their writing, bold and black in hentaigana with varying characters, stood out strikingly once noticed.

Finally, we stopped at a door that Natsume might as well have chosen because she felt like it.

The red print on the black plaque red: 108A.

Natsume dug in her back pocket and pulled out a thin card. She swiped it through the small machine next to the door, and it _clicked_ before sliding open.

"This room contains our newest batch," she said, looking over her shoulder to me. "We're pretty sure most of them came through the tunnel Sensui opened."

She flipped the light switch on her left as she walked inside, and I paused to take in the sight of what seemed to be an office cubical. No—it wasn't. The observation window across from us ruined the office aesthetic.

Nervous, I walked to the window, ignoring the desk, high-tech computer, and file cabinets as I passed them. My legs slowed as I neared the glass, and they stopped when I registered what lay on the other side.

A chill washed over me. _This_ was the observation room—_that_ was the operation floor.

Stained, dingy-white walls, and a calcified, moldy tiled floor. A surgical table lay in the middle of the room, above what resembled a shower drain. I didn't understand…

As fear crept into my chest, my eyes drifted to the talismans in the crevices of the ceiling and walls to the two doors inside the room. Two heavy, cement doors lay in the walls across from and adjacent to the window.

The room held an eerie resemblance to the past; technology seemed to disappear beyond the glass.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice was far too scared to show itself. After a few patient, jaw-gaping seconds, it came out.

Quiet and timid, though it was. "What is this place?"

"This is a War Criminal Interrogation Camp," she replied. "In these rooms, we use tactics to extract information from war criminals."

"Tactics," I repeated, staring at the rusted edges of the surgical table.

"Yeah." She smirked. "They're not exactly… conventional."

"And the Geneva Conventions don't matter," I whispered.

"Because they're not human," she agreed just as quietly.

"I didn't know we were in a war with them," I said.

"It's like a cold war," she said. "The tunnel incident with Sensui? He may have orchestrated the one that got close to doing its job, but it's a common idea among the filth. If enough of them congregate or find another youkai that can create a tunnel like that again, it'll happen."

"But it hasn't," I noted.

"Because we've been doing our fucking job." She shrugged. "We interrogate anyone suspected of trying to open a portal—or caught opening a portal. Often, we execute them. We catch a lot of illegals in the act. A lot of them have connections or ideologies that are dangerous to Ningenkai."

That didn't justify the creepy torture chamber.

"Remember, Aiko," she said. "We're their food source. We're the prey, and we have to do all we can to keep our realm and people safe." She walked up behind me as I continued looking out at the operation floor. She squeezed my shoulders, and I tensed as the fabric of my t-shirt bunched up.

She leaned on me and rested her head on mine. "I'll show you how we do it. I won't make you ask any questions this time."

She squeezed my arms again and then let go. She stepped beside me and reached for a file on the desk. Picking one up, she plucked a small photograph from the file. She showed it to Hayashi, who nodded and headed for the door to the floor.

I watched Hayashi walk across the floor. She pushed her weight against the far door to open it before disappearing into the darkness behind it.

"Other officials already interrogated them through 'conventional' means," Natsume said. "You're just going to help me convince them to talk."

"And if they don't?" I asked, watching Hayashi return to the floor with a prisoner in tow.

"We kill them."

He resembled a wildcat. He would have passed for human if not for one trait—albeit strikingly noticeable: his face. It protruded outward, elongated, with a flat nose and curled lips.

But even the change in species didn't numb my empathy at the sight of him bound in chains. The thought of having to hurt him scared me rigid. A soft static hummed in the back of my head.

Natsume waited for me to speak, watching my mouth tremble. I panicked, and thought of something useless.

"I don't want to ruin my clothes."

She laughed. Hard. "Don't worry! We haven't gotten them in yet, but they're making optional liquid-resistant body suits."

She tugged on my arm, still laughing, and guided me to the door that would lead me to the youkai.

"It can get a bit repetitious, interrogating… executing," she continued, sighing in content from finishing her fit. "After a while, you want to try spicing it up."

The youkai caught my eyes when we stepped through the door. Hayashi, holding his talisman-laced chains loosely with one hand, reached under the surgical table with the other and flipped a switch. It lost its rigidity. It bent in the middle, caving inward, and Hayashi guided it to turn into a chair.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I like to listen to music."

All the while, the youkai hadn't even bothered to fight back. He stood there with a fierce determination in his eyes that said he wouldn't speak no matter their tactics.

Thin fingers wrapped around my wrist to guide me to the door on the adjacent wall. I couldn't take my eyes off him as Hayashi sat him in the chair and adjusted his hands behind the back.

Bright gold eyes met my dull brown, and I tried sending him a silent message: _I'm sorry_.

As if he understood my longing eye contact, and didn't care for my excuses, he turned away from me. An icy chill washed over my cheeks in guilt, and I looked back to Natsume to find the room she led me to.

I eyed the walls and my heart beat faster, harder, than before. Weapons littered them—maces, knives, swords, scalpels, tongs, forceps… Every kind of weapon aside from firearms was in this room.

"Pick your poison," she purred, walking past me. "I'm feeling… _hot_ tonight."

She knelt by one of the shelved walls and reached into a corner. She lifted a red, plastic gas can into my sight. My face stung at the touch of the warm air in the room.

I had to think of something—anything. Anything to keep Natsume from killing him. Could I persuade him to lie and convince Natsume he was telling the truth? How I could do this without outing myself?

Would it even save him? Even if he talked, would she still kill him?

"Here." Her voice jogged me back to reality, and I found her standing in front of me, hand extended to me. "I know this is new and scary, but if you could break the last one's spine, you can do this."

In her hand was a particularly decorated knife.

"It was the kind used by soldiers in the second World War. Slices clean through; makes everything smooth and easy."

I couldn't seem to bring myself to grab the knife, but I knew I had to. I had to. I had to...

"Thanks for… understanding." I managed a small smile, clenching it in my numb hand.

She laughed. "Don't worry. It only took me a little while to get used to it, but then again, I grew up attending the Dark Tournament annually. I know it'll take a while for you to handle seeing all the gore."

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat and gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. I've talked about doing this for so long, but I guess I'm scared of seeing a lot of blood."

She patted my shoulder and nudged me to leave the room. "You'll get used to it."

I followed her back onto the floor, and she closed the weapon's room door behind me. Stepping up next to me, she adjusted her grip on the gas can.

"I'll ask him one last time," she said quietly. "If he refuses to speak, I'll tell you what to do."

I nodded and took a deep, silent breath as we neared the war prisoner.

She set the gas can behind him, and began rounding his chair. "So, you want to explain yourself one last time?" She stopped in front of him, planting her hands on her hips. "I'm giving you a chance—something I _never_ do for things like you."

"Like I said," he growled, his baritone voice ragged and tired. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She rammed her foot into his groin, and as he screamed, a familiar tune echoed throughout the floor. It was a popular song back in the day, one of my father's favorites—sung by everyone's heartthrob twins.

I looked to the dark-tinted observation window. Hayashi, her frame barely visible, leisurely flipped through a magazine as The Cashew's "Don't Turn Around" played. *******

"You mean to tell me you don't know how you and your entire fucking mob ended up with a bunch of artifacts used to enhance ki?" she snapped. "As you all tried opening another fucking _tunnel_?"

"We wanted to leave this realm!" he said with a booming voice. "I don't remember anything about any artifacts!"

"You're not supposed to be here to begin with!" she seethed and twisted her foot deeper into his groin. "You came here illegally and then you say you wanted to _just leave_?"

He gritted his teeth to spite her. If he wasn't screaming, she wasn't enjoying.

Her nostrils flared and she glanced to me. "Figured it would end this way—it always does. Let's start."

"What... should I do?" I replied, gesturing to the knife.

"I'll tell you what to do," she replied, staring him down. He returned the glare with a fervent one of his own. "Cut off his jaw."

My heart stopped, and I stared at her.

"You want your arm bitten off when you do other shit?" she snapped, head cocking to the side. She repeated herself, slowly emphasizing each word. "Cut off his fucking _jaw_."

There were times when people talked about "out of body experiences." While I'd experienced that before, this time was strangely different. I didn't leave my body, but I became numb, depersonalized. I wasn't me anymore. Even the youkai's vicious glare wasn't enough to pull me back. His low growl melded with the music, mixed with my heartbeat.

As I watched myself stare down at him, I realized I couldn't hear the music well anymore. His never-ending growl and my heartbeat were more prominent.

_Say something, please! I'll back you up!_

The throbbing moved from my throat to my head, and I tried to silently tell him how sorry I was. I tried telling him that if he could just lie, I would back him up. Whether he couldn't understand my lingering, pleading gaze, or his pride was in his way, his scowl didn't falter.

_Say anything! Please!_

My breathing grew heavier as the cheerful sixties tune continued. I found myself gently cupping his wide-set jaw. My grip on the knife tightened, and I blinked—a split second of darkness that seemed to last for hours. Comforting, it was; I thought I passed out, but I hadn't. I wished to return to it, because as consciousness crept upon me, I heard terrifying, agonizing screams.

My trembling hands were soaked, and one held something soft but firm, warm and wet.

I glanced down to find his jaw laying in my stained hands.

An entire row of sharp, large teeth protruded into the open air. Underneath them were the pastel pink, stained red gums that rooted them to the bone underneath the soft skin I held.

"Good job," Natsume cooed. "Now, I know you can't talk, but I'll let you use your expressions. You have one last chance to tell me. I'm being _very_ generous, you know."

I looked up from the jaw to his face.

"Where and how did you get those artifacts?" she asked.

_Please, just act like you'll give in! Just pretend! I'll back you up, just please...!_

His tongue was long and pointed at the tip. It hung from the gaping, bloody mess of a hole where his mouth used to be. His eyes squinted in pain, teared up, but at Natsume's words he returned to mustering his best glare.

His top lip curled in disgust, tugging at the ragged tissue around his face, and his brows furrowed indignantly.

Natsume shrugged and turned to me. "What do you want to do?"

"I—I…" Something.

Anything.

_Just don't kill him._

My hand loosened its grip and the jaw dropped to the floor with a disgusting _splat_.

"Skin him," she ordered impatiently through clenched teeth.

I figured I lost it—I finally snapped, because surely my hands couldn't be moving on their own. Bloody palms trembled violently, gripped the knife tightly. One hand rested atop his matted black hair, and the other pointed the tip of the knife at his hair line.

I... I could blow the mission now, and save him and whoever else was in the back room... or I could do this, and work towards making sure it would someday never happen again.

His screams died down, and as I fought with myself, our breathing synced. Each deep breath, each heavy inhale, mirrored. I looked him in the eyes—his bloodshot, red-rimmed, golden eyes—and tried to tell him through my dull brown that I was sorry.

I was sorry. So, so, _so_ sorry.

I tried telling him I was doing this to prevent this from ever happening again. I tried telling him I was sorry I had to do this to prevent it from happening again.

I was so…so… so _sorry..._

And whether he closed his eyes because he understood my silent plea, or because he gave up, I would never know. I would never know anything about him.

I pressed the tip into his skin, and he tried, albeit to no avail, containing the whimpers of pain from leaking out his throat. My body moved on autopilot, scarily instinctual. My hand dragged the blade down his forehead until the knife reached the brow. I paused only to notice the trails of blood seeping out the cut and pouring down his face.

I dug the knife into his cut and shifted it to slide under his skin. Pinching the skin up, the knife glided under it with ease. Thin, watery strings of tissue snapped under the blade as I guided the skin from his muscles.

Dry eyes—blinked. Heartbeat pounded in my ears as I found myself doing the same to his entire face.

"Is your silence worth it?!" Natsume walked around him like a cat circling a mouse.

Blinked again just to not see what I was doing. Just to return to the darkness and escape my actions for even a few seconds.

His neck.

"The ones you want to protect don't care you're a martyr!"

Again.

His shoulders.

"You're a pawn in the game! Your silence means nothing to them."

Again.

I couldn't… Finally, my brain agreed to stop sending messages to my arms. I dropped the knife, and as it clattered on the floor, I stared at the horror of what I'd done.

Staggered breathing. Tunnel vision.

"How sad," she cooed, stopping behind his chair. She leaned over the back and let her hands touch his…

No skin. Pooling trails of blood spilled down his face and traveled down his otherwise untouched body. Muscles spasmed, they twitched along his face, pulsed on his neck.

Black again.

"Your pride was all for naught." Natsume poured gasoline on him, making a point to spill it down his throat.

Again—_don't open your eyes!_

She gripped his hair and yanked his head back.

Again—_stay in the darkness, for god's sake!_

"Your body will be a message to them." Zippo lighter held above the hole in his face. "We do whatever we can to protect ourselves."

I couldn't close my eyes; they glued to the little flame above him.

_This is a bad dream. A bad dream. A bad dream. Wake up!_

She let it drop. I watched as she let go of his hair and the open flame fell into his wound. A wave of fire crawled out of the hole, engulfing him instantly. It spread like wildfire, encompassing the soaked tissue.

I couldn't tell if he was screaming. I couldn't imagine why he wouldn't—but I couldn't hear anything. Not my breathing, not my heartbeat, not the music, not his screams.

My knees buckled as a putrid stench filled the room.

Darkness came again—a swift answer to my prayer—as I crumpled to the ground.

* * *

**A/N:**

*****_Fuyōka no Makai Shokubutsu _is also called the Demon World's Floating Leaf Plant. We see Kurama use it in his Youko form when they fall into Makai chasing after Sensui. It said it's used more as a glider, but it carried them a pretty far ways in Makai so I think Kurama would know how to use it to fly if needed.

****** 100 km is roughly 62 miles.

******* "Don't turn around" is translated from the real song title _Furimukanaide_.


	18. Monochrome

**A/N: **Thanks to all who followed/faved, and all who reviewed! Again, gonna throw it out there that I made a blog for all things YYH and about my fanfiction. Its URL is "lithiurnflower" on tumblr! Hope you'll go check it out.

* * *

**Kurama.**

I was there; she wasn't alone.

I couldn't rely on the possibility of Koenma contacting me. With the roundabout method, I could arrive to her aid minutes too late. So, I kept a safe distance from Maya, and an even safer distance from the dealership. I kept a close eye on the relaxing teen on the roof, waiting for her compact to go off and signal me to head inside.

It never did.

As the moon began lowering in preparation for the wolf's hour, the girls emerged from the workshop door. I couldn't make out Aiko's face in the darkness, but I noticed was seconds from collapsing, barely holding herself together.

Now, I balanced myself on the ledge of the building near her apartment window as vines trickled off my hand. They filtered into the window pane, searching for the lock to quietly loosen it.

She'd vomited moments after entering her room, waking Minoru who promptly complained in disgust. She continued heaving, and as he headed for their parent's room, she made a run for the bathroom.

And so the night grew loud. Her parents—mainly her father—accused her of partying. I trusted her mother to point out she had more symptoms of sickness than drunkenness.

"Cold and clammy out of nowhere?" he snapped. "What drug did you take?!"

Aiko retched again into the water and Minoru's pleas to sleep with them to escape the soiled room could be heard.

Her father questioned her still, likely with her face shoved deep in the toilet, until he was convinced enough to believe his wife. When the Hojo residence settled down, I stole the moment to lift the window.

Slipping into her room, I quietly took off my shoes after making sure the chyme was cleaned from the floor. With light footsteps, I paused at the door's threshold, making sure her family had settled into the main bedroom.

Her father still grumbled to himself in the dark room, but Minoru's soft snores were reassuring.

A couple steps down the hall, in the lit bathroom, was Aiko. Soft, strained sobs sifted through the empty space her family didn't occupy. I found her resting her head on the toilet seat, and I closed the door softly behind me.

At the small click, she turned her head weakly to me. Her eyes filled with shame, and her face dropped with horror. Another sob, harsher this time, escaped her throat. She turned away from me and jerked forward again. A cloudy, translucent bile spilled from her mouth into the toilet.

I gently took her hair into my hands and pulled it back as she continued crying. Her hand covered her face, and I freed one of my own to rub her back.

Her trembling slowed, but it seemed to travel to her voice instead. "I said to not follow me…"

"I know," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

I wasn't, but she didn't need to hear that. She sniffed once, then twice, before choking back her cries.

I moved to find the toilet paper, and as she curled into my hold, I wiped the night from her face. She gritted her teeth as more sobs slipped through them in spite. She clung to my shirt, nails digging into the fabric and threatening to tear through.

She then pushed me away before lurching to the toilet once more. Now, there was nothing left to expel—she only dry heaved.

"I can still smell it," she whimpered after a solid minute of painful dry heaving. I worried she may actually throw up her stomach lining. "It won't go away."

"What happened in there?" I moved to her side again, pulling her hair away from the seat.

She stared into the murky water for a moment before mumbling. "Hit me."

"Excuse me?"

She looked up to me with red-rimmed eyes. "This is a dream. Hit me."

"This isn't a dream."

"If you don't hit me, I'll find a way to do it myself."

"Aiko, I'm not—!" I caught her by the shoulders as her head was inches from the porcelain bowl and pulled her away.

She began crying loudly as I pulled her to me once more, wrapping my arms around her tight as she struggled. "This has to be a dream."

"It's not a dream," I replied, hushed.

"I—it has to be a nightmare," she sobbed. "I couldn't have actually—I—_hic_—"

"What happened, Aiko?" I replied again, resting my face against hers so she could hear my whisper.

She slowly stopped struggling, and her hands instead found their way to my arms. She gripped them tight. "I… You'll hate me."

"I won't."

"I did it again—worse. I did something worse." She turned around, as much as my grip would let her, and curled into me. "I—I didn't know what else to do! I made the right decision, right?"

"I'm sure you did."

"I made the right decision, right?" she asked again, before I could reply. She was only sinking deeper into obsession. "I made the right decision, right? I made the right decision—"

"You did," I reassured her, tightening my hold to ground her.

"If I blew my cover—what if I failed—what if it only made things worse?" she flustered. "What if I failed and that keeps happening? I—"

"Aiko, please. Slow down. It will make thinking clearly easier."

"There's nothing to think about!" Words slithered out in a sharp hiss. "I tortured a youkai! I fucking—I pushed him to where he welcomed the death Natsume gave him!"

I expected something of the sort, but not with that ending. Though she didn't kill him, she was part of it. To her, that was the same thing. When I didn't reply fast enough, she obsessed on.

"I made the right choice, right?" she cried. "I did the right thing, right? I did what I had to do, right? I did what I needed to do, right?" She grabbed my sleeves and began shaking me. "Right? I made the right choice, right, Kurama?! I did—"

I held her tighter, feeling her urge to push away and damage herself again. "You made the choice you needed to make, Aiko."

"Was it the right choice?"

"There are no right choices in war, in things like this."

It didn't make sense to her; her grasp on morality was so black and white. It was either right or wrong, and though there was a grey area, it always fell more closely to one than the other. A shade favoring one hue or the other; grey was never _just grey_. Morality was shades upon shades in monochrome; the world painted in grisaille. But to her, each unique shade fell into another category: one of two.

Black or white. Just or wrong. There was nothing between the two.

"You made the best choice you could, Aiko," I reassured her.

"But it wasn't the best choice for him. He didn't have a choice."

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, Aiko. You sacrifice the lives of a few to save many."

"...Is that what you had to do?"

And I realized, just as I had tamed myself, developed a conscious and cared for morality, she juxtaposed my progress. Adaptation to the lives we lived, wanted to live, had to live. I saw in her what I should strive to be, and she me. And I was unsure whether she could evolve without losing herself—the girl I knew.

But I knew she couldn't survive if I gave her rose-tinted lenses. The world would still be monochrome, but then, it would be fake.

"Yes." Sliding one arm under her knees, I scooped her up and carried her to her room.

Setting her on the bottom bunk, I set some clean clothes by her and went to turn off the bathroom light. I took a tad longer than necessary in hopes she'd have changed by the time I returned. Unfortunately, she hadn't moved from her spot.

She was still hunched over, quietly lamenting. I closed the bedroom door behind me and went to her side.

I encouraged her to change out of her clothes; sleeping in vomit would only make things that much worse. She only shook her head—a feeble, pathetic attempt, really, but she managed to.

She moved to lie down, but I stopped her with gentle hands, reminding her quietly that chyme soiled her clothes. I told her I would leave the room so she could change, but she continued staring down at her denim jeans. Her hands lay in her lap motionless.

After a heavy moment, she began trying to lie down again, to which I stopped her once more. Not only was it unsanitary, but if she woke to the smell of vomit and singed skin, it could only make things worse. I reminded her again.

Without even an expression of acknowledgement, her shaking hands moved to the button on her jeans. I would have stood to leave had I not noticed how useless her attempt was. Her mind was shutting down and taking her body along with it.

I knelt again and asked quietly. "Would you like me to help?"

Limp, trembling fingers released the button, but she didn't respond. I treaded carefully, softly telling her my every intention as I worked to unbutton and unzip the pants. The soiled shirt was next. She lifted her arms slightly to let me pull it off—padded, laced undergarments wasn't the style I'd expected of her.

Honestly, I had never thought about what I expected of her—her presence was never erotic. It was always emotional.

Immediately, she tried lying down again, and this time I let her. I debated on pushing her to drink fluids—she'd dehydrated herself, vomiting as much as she had. But I couldn't force liquid down her throat. With a small, resigned sigh, I pulled her jeans off. Setting the soiled clothing in the hamper, I returned to her side at the bed.

It felt wrong to notice her now as she was, and so I pulled the thin sheet over her.

I'd been with many human women before. Each had their own delicacy about them, whether it was a sensitive spot or topic. But her delicacy and sensitivity were different, the kind that grew on one like ivy did on oak. Even with her growth, the traces of fragility lingered still: prominent hipbones, thin fingers, fragile ankles, and spider-web veins along slender wrists.

And out of everyone, she was the most human.

I sat next to her, leaning against the short headrest as she lay with her eyes open. I pulled her matted hair from her face, watching the strands gently plucking off from her damp skin. I let my fingers weave through it to rest.

She never fell asleep, only blinked every so often and cried even more.

Once, I shifted slightly—the mattress moved only a tad—and she grabbed for me. A hollow but firm hand latched onto mine, and I settled next to her in reassurance that I wasn't leaving.

When the crying turned violent, talking soothed her. Her cries of self-loathing turned to muffled obsessions of hyper-morality into my shirt. Whether she understood my replies of "You did the best thing you could" was never clear. Just hearing a voice gave her a sense of reality, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Grounding her. Reassuring her, unfortunately, that it wasn't a dream. That it was wrong, horrifying, and traumatizing, but that she did what she could. She did what she could, and she would do what she could later to make sure it never happened again, because that's the kind of human she was.

I could forgive her. Koenma could forgive her, Botan could forgive her—Maya, Yukina, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and even Hiei. They would feel a range of emotions with it: disappointment, disgust, pity, apathy… But they could all see _why_ she did it.

But that didn't matter to her. She couldn't forgive herself and the youkai couldn't forgive her.

And _he_ was who mattered—the victim.

Come the break of dawn, she'd finally fallen asleep. Face buried into my shirt, body wrapped in my hold, I wondered how I could leave, without waking her, to avoid her parents finding me.

But out of all the noises in the house—the creaks from the floors, the settling of the walls, the wind against the window pane—the soft opening of her parent's door was what woke her. And though her grip on me tightened, she knew too.

"Later," I reassured. "Once they've left."

There was a heavy beat of silence before she replied hoarsely, quietly. "I want to be alone for a little while."

I debated on arguing, but knew her boundaries were most important.

"After school, then." I nodded, hand smoothing her hair away from her face again.

She grunted in acknowledgment, puffy eyes still lowered to the sheets. I lingered by her side, reluctant, before finally leaving.

Mother never noticed my absence as I passed through the kitchen to greet her good morning. I returned to Aiko's apartment only to feign a normal routine. I reassured her mother there was a stomach flu spreading around the campus, and she sighed in relief. After a small gesture of "take care" that came with the closing front door, the day went by slowly.

Then, when the time came to return to her side, another problem posed itself. A problem I'd worried about since the entire situation with Yomi emerged.

Shuuichi's uncouth demeanor was new and awkward—ill-fitting for the boy, honestly. He was always a timid one, shy and cautious, and courteous of those around him. Even once opened up to those he trusted, he had this quaintness to him that embodied his character.

He was a nice boy, friendly, and eager to listen to one talk.

One would think that if Yomi's men wanted to possess him to use against me, they would do so with more grace and skill. The lackadaisical effort put into this scheme was only the cherry on top of the ordeal.

Or, were they so cocky to think that I wouldn't find a way to harm them just because they took control of his body? I knew many ways to torture a being while keeping them alive. Relying solely on physical torture was tasteless and amateur.

"So, what have you been up to, bro?" The youkai used Shuuichi's vocal cords. "I noticed you weren't home last night."

Honestly, it was an insult to assume I was an amateur.

* * *

**Maya.**

A couple days ago, Yukina and I went into town—small and barely populated as it was—to go grocery shopping. I used my own money to buy some snacks. She took a particular liking to the chocolate-covered mint marshmallows so I bought a bunch of boxes of them for her.

She quickly offered them to Miyuki and Master Genkai when we returned to the compound that day. Though Genkai liked them, she didn't sit with the three of us and eat them. The sun was high in the sky one day as the three of us sat out in the hallway, relaxing and sharing them.

That was the day Aiko showed up. She dressed in her training clothes, meaning she was here to stay for a couple of days.

I hadn't seen or heard from her since she came out of the dealership that night. It reminded me of the last time I witnessed her trauma. But this time, the trauma didn't consume her. The aftermath wasn't an emotionally ruined junior high school girl. No, this time… It seemed she consumed it…

A more refined, hardened stare replaced her usually uninterested expression.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I waved to her from where I sat, smiling wide in hopes of her just being deep in thought.

"My boss will be here soon," was her reply as she walked past us towards one of the common rooms. "So please don't disturb us when he arrives."

"Okay…" I watched her as she entered one of the rooms.

The door shut behind her and Yukina questioned aloud to herself. "Lord Koenma doesn't come here often. It must be important?"

"Maya, didn't you do some kind of stakeout with her a couple days ago?" Miyuki asked. "I'm sure that's what this is about."

I nodded, still staring at the shoji door. "Yeah… I don't know what happened, though. I was just there to make sure she came out alive…"

The words felt strange coming out of my mouth. I knew that was the point of me going; she'd said it, Botan had said it, Genkai'd said it…

"I heard she has a mouth when it comes to Reikai officials, even the Prince," Miyuki said, hushed.

"Yeah…"

I'd once asked her about that, why she talks to him the way she does. I was now paralleling it, connecting it to my worries.

_"My friend was the last detective and he disrespected the Prince plenty," she replied. "Besides, it's not like I directly disobey his orders. I may bitch and moan about it, but I do it."_

_"But he's still, like, your boss, right? It's not like how it was with Masao. Masao had his head shoved so far up his rectum, he was borderline delusional. The Prince doesn't seem like that."_

_They never liked the way the other went about doing things. The Prince expected results, and Aiko was always second guessing her every move. He expected results months ago, and his patience grew thin over time. The reason he didn't fire her was because he knew she was his best option right now._

_She would get results, slow as they may arrive, so he'd use her and let her bring information at her own pace. She never quit because he had power—restricted though it was, it was better than none._

_And so, despite their mutual, passive dislike for each other's methods, they were civil._

_"He didn't pick me for any reason other than my connections," she replied. "I don't have some deep friendship with him like Yusuke did. He's willing to put my life on the line if it means furthering our agenda."_

_I paused and thought about it for a second. She said that phrase before, but I didn't exactly take it seriously at the time. I never thought there was a reason to, because obviously she'd never be in a situation where her life was _actually_ threatened… right?_

_"But... aren't you also willing to put your life on the line?"_

_"Yeah," she replied. "But if I'm going to go out, I want to go out the way I feel is right. So if I don't like it, I'll argue until he compromises."_

_I frowned, worried. I knew what she'd gotten into was dangerous, but she always gave off this laid-back atmosphere about it. She made it seem like it was just a regular thing. A chore at most, sometimes. I never worried _too_ much about it._

_"Is this something dangerous enough where you may actually end up dead?"_

_She paused and looked at me before grinning. "No, not really."_

_I didn't believe her._

Especially not now.

I always knew she was into something dangerous, but my initial reaction to danger was often excitement. Adrenaline. I didn't know just how serious whatever she'd gotten into was until she left the dealership that night. I knew it was dangerous, but I didn't realize the _true_ gravity until I saw her struggling to hold herself up that night.

Not much really bothered her, except for men—especially adult men. She joked about killing herself a lot. Wishing an accident would happen to her so she wouldn't have to put the effort into committing suicide. And though she became irate easily, few things actually _upset_ her. Fewer things upset her to the degree I'd seen—now—only twice.

So, my disbelief grew over the weeks, and I was beginning to worry that she just may… actually end up dead.

"Maya…?"

Miyuki's voice brought me back, and I turned to see her frown and furrowed brows. "Huh?"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just…. She's a bit unprofessional and all, talking to Reikai officials like she does."

"Oh, yeah." I waved it off. "I know. It's okay."

Miyuki frowned again, worried whether she overstepped a line gossiping about Aiko.

"If I had to ruin a friendship over someone gossiping about Aiko and the petty things, I wouldn't have any friends," I reassured her.

So long as they didn't bring up her appearance, then it was likely fair game. So long as they didn't bring up the train scandal, even with Aiko's involvement unbeknownst to them, it was likely fair game.

If Aiko wanted to stop someone from talking about her, she'd either handle it herself or tell me so.

In our groups awkward silence, soft voices fluttered through the air from the common room, muffled and emotional. I took it upon myself to conceal my ki best I could.

"Hey!" Miyuki hissed at me as I scurried across the hallway to hide behind the closed, sliding door. She appeared next to me then. "Didn't your parents ever teach you that eavesdropping is rude?"

"Shh." I pressed my finger against her lips. Though I wasn't watching her, I knew her eye twitched in irritation. "I'm trying to hear."

The hushed voices slipped out from under the threshold. Though they were hard to make out at first, they eventually seeped into my ears.

"I gave the tape to Hiei." A firm, masculine voice, with an ill-fitting youthful charm, informed her.

"Who the fuck is that?" A familiar tone, strained to withhold the anger pushing against the back of her teeth.

"Hiei. I'm sure Kurama has mentioned him before. I'm sure you've even met him a few times with how often you're with Kurama."

"I'm drawing a blank here."

"Well, anyways," he sighed. "He asked for the tape in exchange for helping us handle Sensui. He wanted to help, but he would never admit to having an ounce of care for anyone but himself."

"…That three foot tall sewer rodent?!" she gasped. "You gave the fucking tape to the prick who wears a trash bag?!"

"Had I returned to it Reikai, it would have been destroyed. I would rather have any evidence alive and well even if it means jumping through hoops to retrieve it."

"Uh, hello? You could have given it to me! Then I wouldn't have to beat around the bush with Kazuma."

"You and I both know that had you watched any of Chapter Black, you would have killed yourself long ago. Even the most barbaric beings can't handle more than a few hours' worth."

Woah, what the…?

"And speaking of Kuwabara," he continued. "Have you made _any_ progress with him picking out faces? You made it clear in the beginning you were convinced the tape was connected to all this."

"You always bring that up to shut me down…" she grumbled. "_No_, I haven't gotten Kazuma to pick out faces yet. Shizuru does a damn good job intimidating me to tread lightly. But just because I don't have anything on the tape to tie them to this doesn't negate everything I saw—everything I _did_."

Worry festered in the pit of my stomach, and the acid churned in anticipation.

"The problem is what you saw and did was likely legal. They're war criminals, Aiko. If we have to extract information from them, we do it."

War criminals? We're in a _war?_

"Not even a minute ago you were in shock that the proposition for this interrogation camp even passed," she snapped, and I waited. I waited for the anger to pour out her mouth in flames. "And, you know what? Regardless of whether this shit is legal, I'm stopping it. Even war criminals don't deserve that."

"You sound like you aren't convinced they _are_ war criminals."

"To them, a war criminal is any youkai who steps foot in this realm that doesn't have a contract."

There was a brief, considering pause. "Okay, well... Did you see their names? Files? Anything at all to help you identify them?"

"Sorry, I was a bit busy _skinning_ the poor guy," she spat, and my face drained cold. "I don't think asking for a name beforehand is proper torture etiquette."

My stomach plunged and my limbs became heavy. No...

"Wh—"

"I didn't exactly think to look for names, okay? Sorry! I was a bit busy trying to stay conscious as I mutilated the guy."

My hand found its way over my mouth. I didn't know what to think. What was there to think?

She was just like the man she hated.

How could she…?

"I wonder why they had you partake," he hummed to himself. "Initiation?"

"She said I couldn't leave alive if I didn't participate."

"Perhaps a silencing tactic."

But she… She knew right from wrong better than anyone. She stuck by her morals, fought to hold them true tooth and nail. How could she…?

"Whatever, it doesn't matter _why_," she continued. "Can't you pull their files? I'm sure they're public."

"Open cases are removed from the file's room until a verdict is reached. I have no access to open cases unless I'm reviewing them. Especially _not_ open Barrier Regulation and Enforcement cases."

…How could she? She was so remorseful about hurting the last guy! How could she be so... So…

An irritated sigh was followed with: "What about private files?"

"Again, if they're open, I don't have access. Besides, private files are held in Reikai's network, and logging in is required."

"But it wouldn't be suspicious to log in and find _old_, private cases right?"

So callous! How could she be so callous?! How could she get over it so quickly?!

She joked about things like she didn't do _anything_!

"I don't have access to Barrier Regulations and Enforcement cases," he replied, a little miffed for having to repeat himself. "_Especially_ if they're private—_regardless_ of their status."

"What the hell do you even do in Reikai then, if you can't do this?"

"Many things," he snapped in a childish, defensive tone. "I share control over many sectors with my father and have plenty under my full control. Barrier Regulations is a sector I do not have control over. My father monitors it thoroughly."

"Like that's not a fucking red flag…" she muttered.

My body moved before I could think. I ignored Miyuki's frantic, protesting hisses, and I reached for the handle. I slid the door open, slamming it against the threshold. I came face to face not with Aiko—but with the Prince.

My rage didn't falter, no. I wouldn't let it.

Where was the fire that threatened to spill from her mouth not even a moment ago? Was it truly because she had to talk to the Prince and argue her case, and not because of what she'd done?

"Who even are you?!" I screamed to the girl, her back turned to me. "You're not the Aiko I know—the Aiko I know would never do that! She would never abuse her power—hurt someone like this. Hurt someone and then walk away from it like it was _nothing_!"

Pacifier between his lips, the Prince's eyes blinked lazily at me and then shifted his gaze to Aiko.

"I understood you did what you needed to do—when you broke the youkai's spine! I understood what you did, but… you didn't want to! Why?" My voice continued to rise, my face grew hotter, and my eyes stung. "Why don't you care this time? You speak of it like it's nothing! You make sick, sardonic jokes about it!"

She tensed, and her head bowed in shame.

"Have you really become so callous just this second time?!" Warm salt water stung against my cheeks. "How could this be so… so—"

"You think I wanted to fucking do it?!" she screamed, but didn't turn around. Her back stayed towards me, and her head lowered further. "You really think I don't care?!"

I paused, but the fire burned still. "If you cared you wouldn't treat this so… you treat it like it's another _thing_ that just _happens,_ Aiko! And it's not. You know that better than anyone."

The room grew hot, and the tension expanded with the temperature's growth. She didn't reply; she just sat at the table, legs tucked under her on the soft pink pillow.

"Well? Say something, Aiko!" I snapped. "Defend yourself—something! Anything!"

"There's nothing to defend!" She stood, whirled around—all in one fluid motion. She stepped up to me, face shoved into mine. Hot breath coated my skin, red rimmed eyes bored into mine. "I did something horrible! I will live with what I did every day." Her strong, booming voice diminished quickly, turning fragile and guilty. "I'll see his face every time I close my eyes."

"Then why don't you _act like it_?"

And with the last, desperate breath that followed those words, we stood in silence. We both knew why I was so worried. Scared. Upset.

I was scared I was capable of hurting others too.

Aiko, the girl who was so concerned with justice, with never inflicting the similar pain she once felt on others, was capable of hurting others. She was capable of hurting others and going on with her life. Picking herself up, putting the pieces back together, and moving on.

She, the victim of abuse, was able to inflict the same pain on others and go on with her life.

So what did that say about what _I_ was capable of?

"Because I can't take it back." Her voice grew small, tugging at my heart at pulling me deeper into fear. "I can't undo what I did, Maya. I made my choice, and I have to live with it."

My hands rested upon her bare arms, and I squeezed them, feeling the fear bubble up to my head only to pour out from my eyes. "You made the only choice you could… right?"

Her eyes fell to the floor, and conviction left her. "I… want to think I did…"

"So, what's your next move, Aiko?" I looked behind her to see the Prince.

He stood with proper posture and his hands tucked into his beige slacks' pockets. The raging emotions flooding the room did nothing for him; he still had a job to do.

I looked back to my friend, and with tears pooling in the corner of her eyes, she asked harshly. "What do _you_ want me to do?"

"Well, you want to stop them from doing this any longer. Find out what criminals they're picking up," he replied. He had to agree with her if he was giving her orders. He had to care too. There was no way he couldn't. Whatever else she told him had to be something for him to go off of, because he wouldn't waste his time if it wasn't a lead. "Go down there again and find names and records."

"You can tell me their names. I may recognize them." A new voice—familiar, but never interjected in a conversation. No, she was far too polite to do so.

All eyes flew to the youkai behind Miyuki: Yukina.

"Some names are infamous throughout Makai." A calm voice and sweet smile despite the chill air creeping into the common room. "I could help you discern who would be likely to attack Ningenkai, and who should never have been detained."

Miyuki looked to Yukina. She then sighed with a smile before jabbing her thumb at herself. "Ex-criminal here. I'll be able to help too. Give me some names and Yukina and I can help you out, Aiko."

Aiko's smile of gratitude was fleeting—and I knew exactly why. She didn't deserve their kindness. She couldn't accept it without bloody hands and a guilty conscious. I pulled her close, burying my face in the crevice of her neck. Her arms wrapped around me, lying gently on my back.

Fear still gripped me, lingered behind me ominously, reminding me. If Aiko was capable of something so horrid, then I was too.

* * *

**Kurama. **

Placing spies in my office in Makai was one thing—typical and expected—but a line had been crossed when he sneaked into Ningenkai and used Shuuichi.

His jealousy sprung from the attention Yomi gave me, and his hatred grew from the comment I made upon our first encounter. Being Yomi's right-hand man gave Shachi an identity, and to have it invalidated infuriated him.

I could live with his petty, obstinate remarks during meetings, contradicting my input and reaching for any statement to oppose mine no matter how useless or wrong. It was like a petulant child reacting to its parents' attention to their new sibling. At times it was amusing, and at worst, merely annoying.

But a line had been crossed, and it needed to be known—made an example of.

Like Roto in the ring, Shachi would be made an example of. Yomi's men or not, I would do what I needed to keep my family safe. A message was sent to him when I returned his low-level subordinate's corpse to his doorstep.

But Shachi, petulant and daft as he was, would only take it as an invitation to deal with me himself. As I hoped he would.

Ironic it was, that I would have to resort to this in order to keep the mundane life I wanted. Ever since the dark tournament, I often felt myself itching for moments like this—a reason to utilize my power. It was a pleasant reminder of the status and strength I used to have. That I could still have.

But I would trade all the opportunities to utilize my power if it meant I could live this life through with the people I cared about. I would continue to live for as long as I wanted—as long as I could until death finally outsmarted me—and I would have opportunities and more to play this game of power and control.

I only had so long to cherish this life and the people in it, and I wouldn't let it be cut short by a hot-headed, arrogant boy with a title that meant short of nothing in this silent standoff of a war.

The only reason I continued the mind games, subjected him to paranoia of wondering when I'd strike—how I'd strike—was because a point needed to be made.

Yomi's men or not—Yomi himself or not—my loyalty would vanish once betrayed. Shachi would be the example, the sacrifice, to ensure nobody else would think to follow in his footsteps.

It wasn't the right thing to do—it was just what needed to be done to ensure it would never happen again.

After all, there was no right choice in war.

* * *

**Aiko.**

A heavy cello tune, accompanied with a light violin melody, fluttered into my ears. I awoke slowly, cold with a heavy head, puffy eyes, and an otherwise encompassing numbness. I took in the ceiling above me; it didn't register as familiar.

The music continued, but I couldn't place the ceiling. Where was I? Who was playing… playing… Ah…

Pachelbel's_ Canon in D. _Nurse Misato's favorite, I noted, closing my eyes. She would play music to cover the sound of the heart monitor when I wanted to sleep.

…A dream? Was I still in junior high? All of that, huh? A dream…

Misato must be working tonight because the CD player is still going, I noted as my hand relaxed. The tips of my fingers brushed against the ground and stiffened at the chilly temperature.

I wasn't in bed.

Clenching my hand weakly, I didn't feel the unnerving presence of my muscles wrapping around a needle shoved in my skin at the tip of my forearm. I didn't have the disgusting, invasive sensation of the feeding tube shoved in my nostril.

I wasn't in junior high. I wasn't in the hospital still.

Turning my head not even an inch to the side, I realized I was with Natsume et al. The brunette sat at the desk giggling to herself every few seconds while Fukui stood near the exit, staring at the door to the… door to the…?

With much effort, I rolled over and propped myself up on my elbow as I tried to remember where I was and why.

I went with them to the basement of the workshop to see… to see… I blinked again, consciousness washing over me, and in that brief flicker of darkness I remembered. I remembered what I wanted to forget. The image was brief, but clear. It would always be burned in my memories, permanently scorched into all the weaving neurons in my brain. My stomach churned, my throat convulsed, and my body lurched forward.

"Ah, shit," Natsume grumbled in reply to my croaking dry heaving.

She quickly kicked the little trash can by the desk my way, and I grabbed it in time. Dunking my head in, I spewed my now liquid-chunky dinner into the bin.

"I didn't think I'd have to tell _you_ not to eat before you came," she sighed, resting her arm on the table and head in her hand as she watched me retch into the trash. "You're usually good about doing that on your own."

Fuck you.

"I'm proud, though," she laughed. "You did great, especially for your first time."

With heavy breathes, I tried pulling my head out of putrid smelling can. "Even though I passed out?"

"Yeah," she replied simply. "Not everyone's _born_ able to handle this. You're taught it. I mean, I grew up watching the Dark Tournament, so I got used to this real quick."

Among the heavy breaths, trying to settle my stomach, I caught a whiff of something I should never have been familiar with: the scent of scorched skin. I lurched forward again, convulsing in pain as more liquid stung the back of my throat and bridge of my nose.

With weak arms, I pushed the bin away and wiped my mouth. Smearing the residue on my hand on the ground next to me, I looked to Fukui. I noted her clothes were painted with blood.

"She... got used to it quick, too?" I asked, steadying my breathing.

Fukui's dead-eyed gaze drifted to me, but she didn't respond.

"She took about a year," Natsume mused. "Ami took a little under a year. We all developed ways to desensitize." She looked to the window again. "It becomes normal, doing it so much. You find new ways to make it exciting, or at least not a chore. And then you desensitize further." Her voice quieted, calmed. "Until it's nothing more than natural."

I managed to push myself up, and on shaking legs, I wobbled to the desk. Putting my weight on it, I looked through the window despite knowing what I'd find would be horrible. For some reason, I was still surprised.

"It'll take a while. We all vomited in the beginning, too," Natsume reassured. "It's often just the smell that gets you, but I guess if you have a weak stomach you'll take a while longer."

Blonde hair tucked up into a high ponytail, Hayashi adorned a surgical mask. I looked to what used to be the chair—which was again an operating table. I knew the youkai was screaming, but I couldn't hear him. He was jerking wildly under the talisman-laced restraints, clenching his hands and toes in pain.

Her gloved hands glided over his face gently, and then she removed one to pick up a clean scalpel on the tray next to her. With a swift swipe, she pulled out two balls the size of her palm.

Natsume knocked on the glass and began waving to her. With her other hand, she pointed at me.

Hayashi's pretty eyes lit up and then—noticeably under the mask—she smiled. She waved back to me with a bloody, chunky, latex gloved hand, and then brought the large eyes up to cover her own. Eerie, with a demented sense of humor, she cocked her head to the side, and I could see her cheeks push up behind her mask as she laughed.

The large, violet scleras held bright yellow irises, and the optic nerves dangled loosely in defeat.

My ears started ringing.

"I never would have thought to use them as surgical practice. Cadavers have _nothing_ on a moving patient." Natsume's voice was quieting, running far, far away. Her voice echoed from the other end of a tunnel. "She's going to make a great surgeon."

My vision clouded over; my stomach churned again. Dizzy, I felt my more stomach acid crawling up my throat as my legs gave out. Darkness gripped me again.


	19. You Can (Not) Redo

**_PART X. "You Can (Not) Redo."_**

* * *

_"But if he escapes, he cannot rebuild, and if he rebuilds, he cannot escape."_

\- _Franz Kafka._

* * *

**Aiko. **

They said it wasn't wise to draw with mechanical pencils, but as luck would have it, the one time I didn't want a mechanical pencil—something I couldn't keep for the life of me—it would be all I had. It was all I had in the bottom of my purse, and I'd snagged it before handing the plum leather off to Hirogawa as collateral.

Speaking of the wanker, he was late.

I glanced from the back of the receipt I'd found on the ground to my rose-gold wristwatch, noting the time. Fifteen minutes late. If this was one year ago, and I wasn't dealing with Sasakawa, I would have taken the money and just fucking left.

When I'd asked if Hirogawa had any product he wanted to push, I was expecting about an eighth of pot. I didn't expect it to be a fairly large scale of pills, but I agreed regardless because they cost more to move.

I returned to doodling on the back of the receipt, balancing it on my knee and sketching lightly so to not tear through it. As I finished the lining, I took a look at the drawing, and felt a sudden wave of emptiness flourish in my chest. I missed Yusuke.

I drew him, pointing out his finger through the page, ready to fire one at me and save me from the grave I'd dug myself. I didn't know if he'd be as understanding as Kurama, considering he had this big heart of gold. But, still, he'd… help me through it.

Or, at least, his company would be enough to distract me—even if only for a moment—from my guilt and anxiety. I just missed my friend.

As I began the shading of Yusuke's slick back, my cardigan pocket began chiming. I looked around the alley I was waiting in—the one behind the big-name drugstore—checking to see if Hirogawa would show.

Of course not.

I flipped open the compact to see the pink color flashing and pressed the little button. Botan appeared on screen.

"Hi!" she chirped. "Sorry for calling back so late, I had to ferry a few people over."

Her hair blew around her head, some of it circling over her crown like a halo.

"No problem," I replied, noting behind her the lilac sky and yellow desert below. She must still be in Reikai. "Suzume told me you may know someone who's good with technology."

I wasn't keen on going to the basement again. If I was stepping foot in there, it was likely to hurt someone. I didn't want to go down there if I could help it.

So I couldn't pull physical files from there. If I wanted files, I had to go through Reikai's network. Since Koenma was such a piss baby and didn't want to log in to the network, I would find someone who could.

I'd asked Suzume if she knew anything, and she had said Botan had a friend.

_"I was never technologically versed," Suzume replied as she stirred what I could only assume was a cup of tea. The compact's field of vision was small and precise, which left me wondering in curiosity what people on the other end were doing sometimes. "Even when I was alive, I spent more time understanding spirituality than the upcoming technology of the realm."_

_I sighed. "Okay, thanks."_

_"But I do know of someone who works with technology," she said, and I perked up. "I do not know them well, but Botan is very social. She may know them better than I do, so I feel you should speak to her about it."_

_"__Oh, that's good!"_

_"__But…"_

_"…But?"_

_"If I remember correctly, the person's position is… well, not the best for us."_

_"Alright!" I smiled. "At least I have an option right now! Thanks, Suzume."_

I'd at least vet them through Botan, who would tell me whether this person was trustworthy.

"Hm?" She frowned and looked away in thought.

"A mutual friend?" I tried. "She said their position isn't exactly the best for us."

"Oh!" She smiled, like a light bulb lit above her head.

"I was hoping you could tell me what their position was."

"Ryuunosuke works under the Natsume family."

"I hate my life."

"What?"

Fuck, I said that out loud. "Nothing, never mind," I sighed. "Thanks, Botan."

"Wait!" She caught me just before I closed the compact. "I may not be know them personally, but I've been around Reikai long enough to know Ryuu is nice! I think they'll want to help."

"Well, _Ryuu_ works under Natsume," I said. "So if he wants to help, he'll help _Natsume_."

"No! They have a good heart, Aiko, honest," she pressed. "I think if we ask, they'll help!"

"Just ask if he knows how to get into Reikai's network or something," I dismissed.

"That'd be… a bit suspicious…" Botan giggled nervously.

Of course. I suppressed an eye roll. "Because…?"

"They helped make Reikai's network," she replied, wincing at my strained groan-turned-whine. "But if I ask, then I'm sure—"

"No, you're not asking someone who works under Natsume to help."

"Aiko, let me… let me do some digging on Ryuu," she said. "I may be able to find something out about them to incite them to help us."

"Like blackmail?" I laughed. "I never would have expected_ you_ to do that! I love it." My laughter died quickly. "Except, still… no. I don't want to risk it, Botan."

"Aiko, trust me," she pressed again, brows furrowing in determination. "If I can't figure anything out about Ryuu, I won't even bother with them."

"Fine. Give it a try." I shrugged, resting my head in my hand. "Just tell me what you find out before you use it on them, okay?"

"Roger that!" She smiled and saluted before flickering off the screen.

I needed to trust Botan; she wasn't stupid. But I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't right. Suzume trusted them enough to mention them; Botan trusted this person enough to dig deep and vet them.

Still, I didn't want all I'd done to flush down the shitter because I made the wrong choice.

"Oi!"

I looked over my shoulder, down to the alleyway's entrance, and found Hirogawa waving to me as he headed my way. He made sure to bring the _backpack_ that contained my purse. Because god forbid a man be seen holding a purse with no woman in sight.

I wanted to choke him. He had me waiting for a half hour.

"You forget how to tell time?" I called to him, and he checked his watch.

Comically, he stumbled in surprise. "When did it…?! I swear the clock said it was five when I left…"

"Yeah, well it's coming on five forty-five," I replied. "You take a shit on your way here?"

"No, then I'd be a little later…" he mumbled, stopping next to me to cup his chin in thought. "I swear the clock said it was five when I left… and it doesn't take that long to get here…"

"Who cares," I whined, adjusting myself on the ground. My bottom was beginning to hurt from having sat on the concrete for so long. "Please divide this money so I can go home."

He pulled off his backpack and sat next to me with a small _oof_, before reaching out his hand. He gestured to the money and I pulled the brown paper bag out from behind me. It was fairly heavy to be holding just cash, so there had to be a nice amount.

I didn't know what colored pills were going for on the street now, so I didn't know how to gauge what I was moving.

"The deal with Sasakawa go smooth?" he asked, pulling out a thick wad of wrapped bills. He flipped through them relatively slowly to count. "I heard he brought his brother."

"Yeah. The creep sat in the back of the car. He only opened his mouth to play the script of '_oh my god, I haven't seen you in years!_' before I got in the passenger seat."

His brother was a dead-ringer for Sasakawa: same scary mug, same thick neck, same square jawline. It was my first time as a middle-man, and my first time moving product other than homegrown pot, so I guessed his brother wanted to be there in case I screwed up somehow.

His way of handling whatever problem I caused? Probably a bullet to the temple.

Hirogawa began counting the next thick wad, and we sat in silence. I didn't want to interrupt his counting because god knew he was dumb enough to have to start all over.

But, when he started his third stack, I couldn't help asking: "When did you move up in product?"

"About three months ago," he replied. "Sasakawa's brother mentioned he met a few people who taught him how to make those pills. Since we don't have to worry about territory, we shouldn't get in trouble with any other dealers."

Hirogawa—or at least, someone he knew—made the product and Sasakawa distributed it. Since the two had minor narcotics charges, they didn't want to be seen moving so much product together. Then came me. The person who'd done other minor, illegal things with them before. Such as running the illegal fight club on abandoned, but thus likely government, property.

"Twenty percent," he said suddenly, handing me a nice stack of bills. "Good job for your first big move. Didn't think I'd ever see you ask to do more than sell plants."

"You had the job and I needed the money," I replied, counting through the bills. The rough microfibers rubbing against my thumb and index finger was soothing to me, both psychologically and physically. "It's not like I have a paying job."

"Yeah, I was wondering whether you quit," he said. "Masao finally get to you?"

"No, I just don't have the time," I replied, satisfied with the amount. It would last me a while and let me pay a bill or two every month. I looked to Hirogawa as he began shoving the money back in the paper bag to put in his backpack. "This was done on _my_ terms. You remember that, right?"

"Yeah, it's cool. I don't care." He put his hands up to placate me before standing up. "I have other contacts I can use to move stuff. It'd be a bit suspicious if it were you each time."

"Yeah," I said, hearing the scuffing of paper on concrete. I noticed he'd stepped on the doodle of Yusuke. "I'll hit you up next time I want to make some quick money."

"Yeah, you know where to find me." He began walking off, waving back at me. I waited for him to turn around before I grabbed the receipt.

Luckily, he only scuffed the print, and not the drawing on the back. I looked down at the goofy face I'd given Yusuke. I even satisfied his personal, constant request for battle scars. I rubbed the receipt, thumb brushing over his shoulder and smudging the lead.

I wondered if he ever hurt someone like I had. I wondered if he could understand me like Kurama had.

I set my free hand next to me to rest on the ground, feeling the empty space where something should have been.

And then, it clicked. I shot up, running out of the alley. "Hirogawa! You forgot my fucking purse, didn't you?!"

* * *

**Shizuru. **

"I'm just here to have him look at faces," she reassured me.

I stepped aside and let her come in. Before she took off her ankle boots, she rummaged through her purse to show me the photos. They were the same type of mug shots from before, this time of middle-aged men. Some were much older, having seen the Tenpo famine, and a small few were young enough to be fresh out of college. *****

"He's in his room," I said, glancing to the photos before waving her off.

She disappeared up the stairs as I settled on the couch in the living room. I wanted to go upstairs and linger in the hallway, but I knew I'd only become irate. I had to trust that she'd do her best to keep Kazuma out of the loop, to make sure he didn't get involved.

I flipped through channels on the TV, skimming through countless upon countless mindless shows. I'd seen all the episodes of all the shows I enjoyed. Now I was just watching repeats. And, for some reason, every time I landed on a repeat, it was a repeat I'd seen the last time I'd watched it.

I settled on Kinpachi-sensei with a small huff and set the remote next to me.

I couldn't do anything to help him in the Dark Tournament; I couldn't prevent Sensui from kidnapping him. But if I played my cards right, I could help him now. I just had to keep still on this couch and wait for Aiko to finish her time with him. If I went up to eavesdrop and he caught me, he'd know something was up—more than we were letting on. I restrained myself and watched TV as the sun set.

A little past eight, I heard Aiko bidding Kazuma goodbye upstairs. I stood from the couch and slowly made my way to the staircase.

I saw her as she was walking down the steps, and there was a certain lack of expression on her face that wasn't normal. She used to always have this sort of bland look, like she was bored and tired of just rolling through life. Now it seemed she had nothing to offer the people who passed her a glance, not even a feigned look of apathy.

"Hey," I said, and she perked up.

Her eyes widened slightly and then drifted around to find me. Once they landed on me, she put on a smile. "Hey!"

"How'd the line-up go?"

She reached the last step. "He didn't recognize anyone. I'm not surprised, but I still had to give it a shot, you know?"

"Yeah." I shrugged, and stared down at her.

If I was going to help her and keep Kazuma out of this, I had to know _what_ was wrong. I couldn't have Kazuma find out before me and let that clue him in on something.

And it wasn't just that, to be honest. Aiko was a nice girl once one waded through the antics she pulled with those she didn't like. I came to like her company, and we understood each other in ways few others would be able to when it came to family.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.

Her brows rose in surprise slightly, and she bit her lip before looking over her shoulder. "Well, I don't…" She lowered her voice. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"If it's about Kazuma, it is."

"It's not, I promise." She gave a doleful smile as she headed for the front door. I moved quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"You know if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

She looked over her shoulder to me. "I wouldn't want to burden you with this. It's fine."

"I already offered to help you," I whispered. "Telling me what happens isn't going to burden me."

She stared up at me, contemplating, with her bottom lip trembling slightly.

And so we found ourselves on the front porch. The cool cement seeped through my slack's fabric as I settled myself next to her. She spread her legs out into the walkway and held some of the mug shots of the men in front of her. She rested her hands on her thighs, and I waited for her to talk.

"So, they're border patrol," she started. I nodded. "And Natsume's mom owns this car dealership up in Tohoku. It also doubles as like a… an operations headquarters."

"What kind of operations?"

"Natsume called it a War Crime Interrogation Camp," she mumbled. "Koenma says it could be legal, that the idea was proposed a couple decades back."

"But they're not going about the interrogation in a good way, eh?"

"Nothing's ever good in war." Her voice quieted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Are we at war with them? Nobody mentioned any of that."

"Them plotting to enter this realm and to eat humans is enough to count as them waging war."

I looked up to the clear night sky in thought. "Sounds like a load of crap, if you ask me."

"It is," she agreed, fingering through the photos again. "It's all a load of crap."

"So, what's your next move?" I asked. "Finding out if it's legal?"

"Even if it is legal, I'm stopping it," she said through gritted teeth.

"Alright." I rested my elbow on my knee and my head in my hand. "How're you going to do that?"

She stared down at the photos with knitted brows. "…I don't know."

I looked out to the east, where the sky was a cold black. The city lights glowed in the distance, illuminating the stars. It gave the city a surreal illusion of a halo. I wondered how different life would have been had my family decided to live in the heart of the city instead of in its outskirts.

Maybe Mom would still be around. Maybe Dad would've gotten a real job. Maybe Kazuma wouldn't have almost died so many times. That little thing about life—one little thing—would make such a big difference. I just wasn't sure how I could do that without royally screwing things up.

"Reikai's a whole other realm, Aiko," I said. "You need to have a plan if you're going to try and take one of its sectors down."

There was another pause, and her grip on the photos tightened, crinkling them. "I know. I've just… I'm new to this."

I scoffed, and tried to turn it into a laugh at the last moment.

They were just kids—all of them. Yusuke, Aiko, and my brother. My brother was a damn kid. The fact they were running around doing any of this to begin with should be infuriating. For some reason, though, it was just irksome. Probably because I knew I had no control over how life worked. Things happened. Events happened. People are dragged into things and others are left in the dust. I could only do so much to make sure things didn't wind up too bad in the end.

That's how I usually looked at life: expect the worst, hope for the best. And try, try,_ try_, dammit, to make sure it came out as best it could.

But if there's nothing I could do to change the outcome, there was no sense in getting worked up over it. Watching Kazuma's many beatings and near-death experiences only reinforced that outlook. I couldn't step in the ring and fight his battles for him, but I could prevent him from every stepping into another ring if I had to.

"Well, big picture aside," I continued. "What are you thinking of doing next?"

"I need to go back and get files on the youkai they've captured," she replied. "But I really don't want to go back there if I can help it…"

"So what's your Plan B?"

She shifted slightly, grumbling something about her bottom hurting on the cement. "I'm considering asking one of Botan's and Suzume's friends to help. But I'm a bit worried about their position in Reikai."

"Barrier Control agent?"

"Well, not exactly. They're a Messenger."

"Who works for Barrier Control agents." I grinned.

"Wouldn't work out any other way, now would it?" She scowled.

"You trust them?"

"I don't know yet… Botan and Suzume seem to."

I leaned back, and rested my arms behind me. As my hands planted on the cement to support my weight, the crisp chill stiffened the joints in my fingers. "And this is your only other option?"

"Either go back down there myself or find a way to hack into the network."

"Well, you've survived this long and the plans haven't blown up in your face yet," I sighed. "So I think you'll make the right choice again."

She winced at my words, and I tried to figure which one triggered her scowl to deepen. With one deep sniff, to bring back the mucus that was threatening to crawl out of her nose, she smiled at me.

"So, how are you and Kurama?" I asked, and she paused to switch gears.

"He's the only thing going right for me, at the moment," she laughed.

I gave her a sly nudge. "Finally made it official?"

The light giggles turned to throaty laughs before dying out. "Ah... no? I'm a bit nervous about asking to make it official. I think we're fine where we're at... If he wants to, he can ask."

I sighed. "Unspoken relationships can get messy, Aiko. You're a teen, you know that."

She shrugged, smiling to herself more than me. "If he ends up loving someone who isn't me, then that's just how it works."

"You're a bit young to think like that."

"Whatever time I have with him is limited, you know?" She looked to me. "I don't want to waste it being unhappy or fighting."

I frowned. _"Whose_ time is limited?"

She blinked, confused, before furrowing her brows. "Mine, of course. I'm human." Before I could open my mouth, she'd stood up from her seat and began patting her bottom to brush off the dirt. She gave me a wide smile. "Thanks, Shizuru. For listening and everything."

"...Yeah, no problem." I watched as she walked away, and when she was out of sight I sighed and looked up to the sky above my home.

Usually I could still see some stars; the city lights didn't overpower them too much here. But the stars didn't hold my attention.

I watched the curtains in the window of the second-story room rustle. A silhouette moved away from the pane quickly.

I frowned, feeling a pit of guilt and anxiety bubbling in my stomach. He was going to figure out something was up. I couldn't let him risk his life again.

I looked back to the street, the direction Aiko was walking in. I couldn't see her in the dark, but I knew she was there, walking slowly. I'd have to step my game up sooner than later—especially if I wanted to keep Kazuma out of this. I didn't know what use I'd be right now. But I had to offer myself up to show Kazuma he wouldn't be needed—not for this fight.

* * *

**Aiko.**

Wearing sunglasses indoors was a pet peeve of mine, but I felt I should for the occasion. I sat in the back of a local café, away from the bay window, waiting to meet Ryuunosuke. I scanned the café.

Elderly people littered the entrance and seats near the window. Tucked into most corners were young adults reading works varying from comics to textbooks. I sat with a cup of ice water and small bowl of fruit salad in front of me, watching the entrance.

The café was modern, but still held a sort of authentic atmosphere for the elderly. Paintings and framed calligraphy scattered the walls, and a small collection of bonzai trees and other plants lined the periphery of the building.

I stabbed the fork into a small, square cut of melon and shoved it in my mouth. I heard the bell at the entrance ring softly over the conversations. I glanced over my shoulder to see who entered. A woman.

I chewed and let a sigh escape from my nostrils. Ryuunosuke was late.

_"Okay, but _how_ did you get Ryuunosuke to agree to a meeting?" I hissed at the compact screen. "I don't know jack shit about this guy and they work for_ Natsume,_ of all people."_

_Botan, cheerful smile and all, laughed nervously. "Really, don't worry, Aiko! It'll come up in the conversation when you meet them!"_

_"Can you tell me what the conversation is, then?"_

_"No, I need you to act _somewhat_ surprised!" she protested. "It's about someone you both know—"_

_"If you talked about Kurama to a fucking Border Patrol Officer, Botan, I swear to—"_

_"I'm not stupid, Aiko!" she huffed. "Honestly."_

_"Then who?" I asked, trying to smooth out my ruffled feathers and accept being dragged back into my lane. "Suzume?"_

_"Well, we all know her, yes. But it's not Suzume."_

_"Just tell me who!"_

_"Trust me!" Botan argued. "I made it look like I wasn't supposed to go to Ryuu about this. So when they bring it up, you need to look surprised at the very least."_

_I was so nervous. I didn't know this person! They barely knew the person! I couldn't risk everything blowing up now. Not after all I'd done. I couldn't let all I'd done go down the drain in vain._

_"…Can we really trust this person, Botan?"_

_She nodded. "I did some digging, and found something about Ryuu." She gave me a wink. "When they come to you and talk about it, you'll know what to do."_

Worst case scenario: Ryuunosuke outed me to their boss. At this very moment, they were finalizing their plan to take me to the nearest back alley and crack my skull in.

"Aiko?" An unfamiliar voice caught my attention.

I glanced up to find the woman who just entered the café standing in front of me. I could only assume the plan with Ryuunosuke went south. Time to think of a Plan B.

For now, act calm…

"Who's asking?" I replied, blindly stabbing my fork into another piece of fruit.

She was voluptuous, shapely, and stylish. Long, wavy black hair framed her face before gracing her middle back. Her black sunglasses matched her blazer, pencil skirt, and Louboutin heels.

She pulled off her glasses, revealing wide eyes with thick lashes, and winked. "Ryuunosuke."

…

What.

I looked around the cafe for anyone else out of the ordinary before letting my gaze land back on the woman in front of me. She sat across from me at the table and tucked her sunglasses in the cleavage of her open white blouse.

"You're… Botan's friend?" I asked, to which she nodded. "I expected a man—no offense! I just… the name is masculine and all."

"I am not a man," she replied.

I glanced to her fairly larger than average bosom and then back at her face. Of course she wasn't, but the name…

"I am not a woman either."

Uuuuuuuh… I nodded anyway. "Okay…"

We stared at each other for a few moments. I didn't understand…

"I am a soul in a body that is female," she said.

I nodded again slowly, and she sighed with a smile. She picked up that I was not getting it. Not _really_ believing it.

"I was assigned male at birth in my last—and first—life," she said. "When Reikai hired me, this was the only available body. I soon learned that my body doesn't define me, nor does it define my gender. I do not have a gender."

Ah… Oh. "So… is that why Botan refers to you as 'they' and 'them'?"

"Yes." She nodded. Then, as if she read my mind, she continued. "I refuse to work with someone who cannot respect that, regardless of what the work is."

"S-sorry, I, uh... I was just confused is all," I flustered. "I never met someone—"

"Well, now you have." She smiled, and my face burned. "And now you know."

After a few seconds, I closed my slack jaw. I didn't know what I was expecting but this was not on the list of possibilities. I refrained from shaking my head to regather my thoughts. Instead, I regulated my breathing to help the color leave my face. Okay. They.

They. They. They. They. They. _They_.

"So, Botan said you had something to talk to me about?" I asked, after a deep breath.

"I do," they replied. "I noticed the change over time. The Natsume jurisdiction is the main district I interact with."

"I thought you worked _for_ the Natsume family?"

Their red lips split into a pretty smile. "I work for a few districts. My only interaction with this district is Takehiko."

The name didn't register at first, but I remembered it vaguely. Takehiko… Takehiko... Wait—

"_Fukui_, Takehiko?" I asked, to which Ryuunouske nodded.

Fukui's dad.

"He's Kentaro's secretary," they explained. "I work through Takehiko, so I don't get to interact with Kentaro or Kouhei."

Kentaro… Kouhei… Ah. Natsume's and Hayashi's dads, respectively.

"So… you don't know what their daughters do at the Natsume's dealerships?" I asked.

Their smile grew, intrigued. "I can't say I do. All I know is Hitomi doesn't like going with her friends anymore. Botan said you know why."

This was about _Fukui_? They knew Fukui?

"So, she... She told you this was about Fukui," I treaded lightly, but didn't bother to hide the wide eyes and slack jaw from them.

They nodded. "I spend much of my job as a Messenger dealing with the district heads' secretaries. For the Natsume jurisdiction, that is Takehiko. Of course, over time, I grew fond of little Hitomi." They leaned on the table towards me, closing the gap. They spoke softly, whispering, with a coy smile. "And Botan says you know why she's become so unhappy."

I didn't find it strange that someone would care about Fukui, but it seemed so… _easy_. Would Ryuunosuke really throw away their loyalty to Reikai to help Fukui?

"I do, but I…" I didn't know what to say. This was a horrid idea. I should have never let Botan drag them into this. "I need to know just how much you care about Fukui."

There was a pause, and they just stared at me. A slow blink every few agonizingly long seconds. A waiter appeared to take Ryuunosuke's order, but the tension was thick enough to send him away with his tail tucked between his legs. He muttered a small "I'll be back, sorry" before disappearing.

I was going to wring Botan's neck and then hang myself.

"In my first life, I couldn't bear children," Ryuunosuke said suddenly. "After years of trying, my marriage fell apart. In-vitro fertilization didn't matter. I had a secondary endocrine disorder, meaning it affected my pituitary gland. Among affecting many other hormonal pathways, it couldn't continue the events to produce sperm. I couldn't produce many—if any—mature sperm."

They clasped their hands together, and continued, tongue in cheek.

"I was so hell-bent on having my own child that I refused to let my wife use a sperm donor. Of course, telling your spouse what they can and can't do is a one-way ticket to divorce." Thick lashes brushed their lenses as they looked down to the table. "I never got to treat Hitomi like my daughter; I never got to take her places or drop her off at school. But I got to watch her grow up, buy her birthday and holiday presents.

"I would spend my visits in her company if I wasn't doing business with her father. She's not my child, but she's the closest thing I'll have to a daughter." They looked up to me, bright burgundy eyes glinting fiercely. "So, if you know why she's changed so drastically, I would like to know."

I wanted to tell them, but this wouldn't be the first time someone pulled a sob story out of their ass. I knew the wounded puppy shit first hand.

They leaned toward me. "I have watched her grow up; I've known her since she was six years old. I've seen every personality growth and change, and this is the worst by far."

Perhaps they did care for her, but did they care enough…?

"So, she's like your daughter," I mumbled, working through my diction slowly, to keep up with my thoughts. "But, would you turn your back on everything you've helped build for her?"

Their brows furrowed and they leaned back in their seat. They looked at me, with some mixture of confusion and skepticism, as their arms crossed over their chest. I waited for their reply, and they stared past me in thought, doubt.

"You can't tell me what it is?" they mumbled.

I shook my head, feeling guilty manipulating them like this. But I couldn't risk everything I'd done. "Not unless I know you're willing to risk everything you have."

There was another long moment of silence before they mumbled. "It's about Barrier Regulations and Enforcement practices."

I didn't clarify, but they were smart enough to realize it was.

"Being a part of Barrier Regulations and Enforcement personnel is a big part of Hitomi's identity," they said before standing. They hiked their purse onto their shoulder and looked down to me. "If she's willing to part with it, then so am I."

I kept my gaze on the little fruit bowl in front of me, and I listened to their heels' echoes on the tiled-floor fade. With a shaky breath, I wondered if I made the right choice, giving away as much as I had. Would I be selfish enough to blow my cover and ruin the mission, just to get out of going down there once more?

I just couldn't bear the thought of doing it again.

I would lose my life if Ryuunosuke or Fukui decided to expose me; I would have to do my best to make sure Botan didn't get in trouble. It would be a messy end for me; it would prolong the corruption, so was it worth it?

I trusted Koenma to keep Botan and Suzume safe. He could protect them, relocate them; I'd be the sacrifice.

Uncertainty gripped my heart and squeezed. I didn't want to ruin everything, but I also didn't want hurt anyone again. Ryuunosuke would be a good addition to the operation, but with them came Fukui. And if I was paranoid about Ryuunosuke working for Natsume, my paranoia over Fukui's involvement was on a whole other level.

I didn't know if she would be able to part with something that made her who she was. Something that formed the majority of her identity. She lived for Reikai, for the company she surrounded herself in. She had nothing else, really. She wasn't able to have anything else.

Without it, I didn't think she'd know how to live.

She may have come crying to me, begging me to stop whatever it was, but that was because she couldn't do it herself. She couldn't turn against them. I could only hope with Ryuunosuke's company, she'd feel she could.

* * *

**Suzume.**

There was something about the present I wasn't fond of and that was the noise.

Of course, back in my day, it was bustling. Really, though, it was only with the carriages and horses of the rich or the samurai. The parties and shows were also loud. But when it came time to sleep and the day to day routine of a regular life, it was nothing like this.

Now, it was much louder. Cars, buses, rush hour traffic. Or, perhaps, maybe it stayed the same; I couldn't be so sure anything truly changed. I spent the past… almost two hundred years in Reikai after all. Ferrying souls became so routine that I never did pay attention to the ever-changing world after a while.

Today was a lucky day, despite the noise. I wasn't scheduled at the café. I could sleep in. I was lucky to get more than three hours of sleep after getting off work and then ferrying souls to Reikai. Today would be one of those lucky days.

A small chime interrupted my sleep, and I decided to ignore it at first. I rolled over in bed, eyes shut tight, until I realized what was beeping.

With soft groan, I reached for the nightstand. I opened my eyes to see the sunset-colored compact flashing a soft plum color. Behind the compact, in bright red, was the time.

Seven A.M.

I grabbed the compact and opened it, finding Aiko on the other end.

"Sorry to call you so early, Suzume," she said.

She looked like she slept a decent amount of hours with just enough time to do her makeup. She even, apparently, had enough spare time to visit her beau, who sat behind her on a twin-sized bed, reading.

"It's fine," I replied groggily before clearing my throat to wake the muscles.

"I'm calling to have you go to Koenma today," she continued. "To pick something up. Then I need you to… uh, take it to Fukui."

I sat up in bed quickly. "What is it I'm taking to her?"

"A compact." My eyes widened, and she grimaced.

"I know, I know," she said, shaking her head. "But I think this will work."

"Are you sure we can trust her?" I asked.

She hesitated and let out a heavy sigh. "I think so… I've been doing some thinking. I think she wants this to stop. Plus, if we can get her to help, we can get Ryuunosuke to help us get into the network."

I knew she was skeptical of Ryuunosuke, but because both Botan and I knew them, I think she was giving them the benefit of the doubt. I thought about it for a minute; Aiko knew the girls better than I did.

I watched over the girls' mannerisms and learned how they talked to each other. I understood what they really meant when they talked about business. But Aiko was up front and personal with them, she actually interacted with them for longer than an hour at a time. Held conversations that weren't small talk.

She _knew_ them better than I did.

"If you feel this is the right decision, I'll follow through with it," I said.

She gave me a small smile, one filled with relief. "Thanks, Suzume. I trust you'll know what to tell her when you give it to her."

"Understood." I nodded.

And she flickered off-screen. Not even a second later, the compact's screen began flashing a bright pink. Botan.

I pressed the button and her cheerful face appeared onscreen.

"Good morning, Suzume!" she sang, and I winced at the piercing noise. "I saved you the trouble of having to head to Reikai. I'll drop off the compact at your place."

"Thank you, Botan." I smiled.

We hung up, and I made my way out of the single bedroom and headed to the bathroom. The apartment was small, but comfortable. Back in the yukaku, I lived in a large establishment, but there were often many of us to a bedroom. ******

I made good living until the famine hit. Only samurai or men who were rich—or just daft enough to spend their money on us—were continuing patrons. Many of the girls who could quit did so, and left to a place where the famine wasn't so destructive.

In a bout of stupidity, I too tried to leave. The nearest town was said to have suffered the least from the famine, and so it did for a few months. And then it hit harder than expected.

I washed my face and ran my wet fingers through the butchered hair that belonged Ito, Yori. She'd taken such little care in her appearance that it was hard to fix the damage. The style Kuwabara gave it could only save so much.

Ito, Yori was a spiritually aware young adult who had seen us Guides before. There was a rumor she had once asked a Guide to take her to the afterlife because she was tired of living. She said she would "off herself one day anyway" if the Guide didn't take her, she "just wanted a clean ending, if it could be helped." That, of course, kept her name in the gossip Guides loved to participate in for quite a while. So when Lord Koenma offered me the job, I broke an illegal deal with her.

She—almost eagerly—agreed.

Moisturizing her skin was a challenge, as was fixing the dry hair. She was at her wits end by the time I approached her with the offer. She seemed to have not gotten out of bed in days.

Brushing my teeth, I made sure to rough up the gums to strengthen them. Back in my room, I changed into the clothes that suited her personality. Just as I buttoned the denim jeans, a knock at the door came from the small living room.

I let Botan inside, and she handed me a dark blue compact. I almost envied her for being able to live in her own body, wear her own clothes, and be who she was. But I would be lying if I said I didn't sometimes enjoy playing the persona that was Ito, Yori.

It was nice to be someone else for a while. It was unpleasant to be someone else entirely.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" I asked, closing the door behind her.

"Well, Aiko thinks it is," Botan mused, sitting at the love-seat in the middle of the small living room. "I trust her judgement. I also trust Ryuunosuke."

Fukui was another story.

"How are they? Ryuunosuke, I mean," I asked, heading to what was more of a kitchenette than a real kitchen.

"They're fine, for the most part." She smiled and then paused. "If this goes through, then I think they'll feel better…"

"Why are they agreeing to help?" I asked, pulling out a kettle to prepare some tea. "They usually tend to mind their own business."

Gossip was a pastime among Guides and Messengers. It was rare to not stick one's nose in the latest happenings, and so very few of us kept to ourselves. Some were quiet in the gossip, only eavesdropping or listening, but only a handful of people kept out of gossip entirely.

"I kind of…" She gave a nervous laugh. "I went digging into their files to see if there was anything I could use to help incite them…"

"You _blackmailed_ Ryuunosuke?" I blanched, staring at the girl as she began waving her hands frantically.

"No, no! I would _never_. I just wanted to see if there was a reason they'd agree to help! I wouldn't use anything _against_ them like that."

Skeptical, I prepared the tea and began heading to the small living room. "Well… What was it?"

Botan curled her legs under her and made herself comfortable on the love-seat's plush cushion. "Ryuunosuke knows Fukui."

Huh. "Small world, I suppose."

"Convenient. Ryuunosuke will help if Fukui does, so we really want her to agree."

"We're going to ask Fukui to help us," I repeated, doing my best to refrain from groaning. "This is dangerous; if she turns on us the entire mission is over. What do we do if that happens?"

Botan grimaced, and her eyes slanted away from me. "Aiko said she'd take the fall."

I paused, realizing the sentiment. "Then… who will take her lead afterwards?"

Botan shrugged. "She said Koenma will figure out the next move. She'll do her best to take all responsibility so we're not suspected."

The kettle began whistling, making both of us almost jump out of our skin. I took the uncomfortable silence with me as I went to prepare our cups. It followed me back to my seat as I handed Botan her cup.

"Do we really need Ryuunosuke then?" I asked. "If acquiring their help is so dangerous, I don't believe it's worth it."

"I can understand why she doesn't want to go down there again." The dealership. I never heard about what the outcome of that night was; I assumed it was fine since Aiko came out alive. Botan gave a sad smile and finished with a timid voice. "And if this can work out, I want to spare her that experience again. Besides, if we can get Ryuunosuke _and_ Fukui on our side, then we'll have even better access to the dealership."

She took a sip from her tea, letting the steam caress her face.

"Even if it means she'll lose her life if this doesn't work?"

Botan gave a small laugh. "Yeah… I guess it's a bit more appealing than going down there again."

"What happened down there?" I pressed.

"Koenma told me it's a War Crime Interrogation Camp."

I remembered it immediately, the day they proposed the idea. It was proposed before Reikai became strict about barrier regulations, if I remembered correctly. Over the many decades since it had been proposed, councils continued altering the legislature as appeals continued forth in both favor and disapproval of the idea. Had it actually passed, I was unsure of, since they never made a public announcement or file.

"So… if things go bad," Botan said. "Just give the body back and go on with your duties, okay? Act like none of this ever happened."

Had they actually passed it? Why wouldn't they announce the approval of the legislature like any other if they had? It sparked controversy, yes, but everyone involved was still _civil_ about it.

"I need to get going, Suzume!" Botan returned to her cheerful voice, keeping up the jubilant façade. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Right," I said, stilling trying to mull over my memories of when exactly it was first proposed.

I could research it another day, I told myself, look through my journals when I had the time. Right now, I had to worry about the fate of the entire mission. It rested entirely in Fukui's hands—because Aiko had passed it on to her.

I didn't much like going back to the café when I was off. Even on my off days at the brothel, I still lived there. Now that I knew the luxury that was _going home_ after a shift, I tried to not go back to work unless they were paying me to do so.

I had to think of a way to get Fukui alone for just a few minutes. Sometimes I noticed she would leave to the bathroom alone. Other, rarer, times one of the girls—or both of them—would go with her.

I sat at the booth and skimmed through a magazine while I waited for one of my coworkers to bring my free coffee. As my coworker set my drink in front of me, I watched as the girls entered the café. Hayashi secured a small table for them as Natsume and Fukui headed to the restroom. I mulled over the possibilities on getting Fukui's attention without being suspicious.

"One black coffee." Hayashi's voice came from next to me, and I glanced to see her at the counter ordering. "One orange shot, and one… Hm." She pouted and put her finger to her lips in thought as she mulled over the menu.

I figured now would be a good time to try. If I couldn't get Fukui alone, I needed to at least get close to her.

"You should try the mint chocolate chip frap," I said, and Hayashi turned to see me, surprised.

"Oh, I didn't notice you, Yori!" She smiled. "The mint chocolate chip frap, you say?"

"It's smooth and chill," I continued. "I think you'd like it, especially since there's chocolate mixed in."

"I'll try it!" she chirped to my coworker before turning to me. "Are you on your break?"

"No. Today's my day off, actually."

She leaned against the booth next to me. "I didn't take you for the type to come in on your day off."

"I haven't been getting much sleep lately," I admitted before nodding to my drink. "But I still have to stay awake or I'll mess up my sleeping schedule."

Firm hands clasped my shoulders and shook me. "What's up, Yori?!"

Natsume leaned over my shoulder and grinned, and I returned it with a smooth smile. "Hey, Natsume."

"You're one of those people that come back in to work when they're off?" she snickered. "I expected so much better from you."

"It's just for today," I said as Natsume rounded me and headed to the counter. "I messed up my sleeping schedule. If I stay home, I'll end up falling asleep."

"Take a few sleeping pills and go to bed a couple hours early." Fukui's voice was next. I looked over my shoulder to see her. "You can knock out for about twelve hours."

"I'll try it out." I smiled as Natsume ordered for both her and Fukui. "And what about you all? You have classes today?"

"Yeah," Natsume whined. "But I'm skipping my first two classes."

"Oh?"

She grinned to me. "Today, I have my real estate examination!"

"Ah, I'm surprised. Real estate is very hard nowadays, with how little unowned land there is."

"I know," she sighed. "But my goal is to start here and then go overseas."

"Yes, families who own land are likely to never give it up," I mused. "Even in times of great financial hardship. Some families would rather lose the land than give it up, even when presented with a large sum of money."

"You sound like you're familiar with this," Hayashi noted.

I paused and rerouted myself with a laugh. "Yeah. I may not look it, but I'm a big history buff."

"Really?" Natsume asked. "What time periods do you like?"

"From the early Edo period and up," I replied. "I'm a bit fuzzy on topics before the Kyoho era. I still have trouble finding new information about that era." *******

"Have you thought about attending college to be a historian?" Hayashi asked.

I laughed. "No, I quite like learning about things on my own time, at my own pace, and at my own expense."

My coworker brought the girls their drinks and they offered to sit with me at a table. We settled down. They asked me random questions about the eras—often, unbeknownst to them, ones I lived through—and I answered them promptly.

"What would be a good history thing to know for my exam?" Natsume asked, wrapping her lips around her coffee's slim straw.

"I don't think history is _truly_ going to help you on a real estate exam," I laughed. "Just remember that when you pass, it'll be hard making living here. Just think about how people see their land when you're answering questions."

"_When_ I pass." She grinned and jabbed a pointed index finger at me. "I like your way of thinking, Yori."

"How long have you been in Tohoku, Yori?" Hayashi asked.

"A couple of months now," I replied. "I used to live out on the islands."

"Oh, I was wondering why you were so dark," Natsume hummed. "All that beach time?"

"Well, I believe most of my color is genetic," I said, looking at the mahogany skin that belonged to Ito, Yori. "But yes, I spent plenty of time at the ocean."

"Why'd you move up here?" Hayashi asked, sipping on her frap.

"Yeah, it's so cold up here," Natsume groaned. "I'd _so_ rather be on the beach."

"My family sold their land," I lied. "We have a few distant relatives up here."

Natsume "ooh'd" as Hayashi gave a sympathetic smile. I took this chance to turn to Fukui, who had yet to speak throughout our time here.

"What about you all?" I asked, and Fukui looked up to me. "Why'd you pick Tohoku University? You guys live around here?"

"No, we're a little more down south," Fukui replied.

"It's a little nobody city." Natsume waved her hand dismissively. "But I'd be lying if I said the shopping district wasn't on point."

I was trying to think of a way to get Fukui alone. I didn't know where to steer the conversation that would make her get up and leave. It wasn't often that she got up alone, unless she had to use the bathroom. But she'd just returned from there.

I pondered on how to get her back in there. It wouldn't be likely that I could get her to drink so much she had to go again before they left.

And then I remembered.

"So how are classes? Your social lives?" I asked before turning to Fukui once again. "Any guy's you have your eyes on?"

Natsume snorted. "Hitomi has a new crush every other day, and they're always the most obnoxious kind of guys."

"I think you should give Sumiyoshi some credit," Hayashi said. "He's a sweetie."

Natsume cackled. "Hitomi's choice in men is horrid. They're all weirdos one way or another."

Fukui opened her mouth to retort, but it hung open for only a few seconds before she decided to close it.

"Remember _Chase?_" Natsume laughed. "Who can forget that loser? Who calls themselves by an American name?! That's like some fucking foreigner asking us to call them a name in our language when their name is something so fucking simple like _Josh_. Just because they ask you to call them something doesn't mean you have to do it."

By now, Fukui had opened her compact mirror and was her fringe with her index finger and thumb.

"Okay, but they're all genuine guys," Hayashi noted. "They're always so sweet."

"They're just in it for the pussy, Hitomi." Natsume leaned towards her. "You need to find a strong guy, someone that can be there for you when shit gets tough. Those wimps will just run away at the sight of a challenge."

Fukui gently rested the nail of her ring finger on the waterline of her eye and then closed the compact. "I need to fix my liner."

She stood and headed towards the restroom, and I wondered how quickly I should get up and follow her. Should I be discrete about it? I didn't think there was a way for me to be discrete anymore.

"I told you to not talk about the people she likes like that," Hayashi sighed.

"What? It's true," Natsume scoffed. "She needs someone to be there for her when things get tough. The average guy runs like hell when he smells a mental breakdown coming, and she has one every fucking week."

"You can't help who you like, Akane."

"Should I…?" I looked over my shoulder towards the restroom. "Should I go talk to her?"

"She won't talk about it." Natsume shrugged. "But go for it. Don't be surprised if she starts crying."

I stood up slowly. Heading to the bathroom, I could hear Hayashi chiding Natsume, who was just groaning retorts. I stepped into the restroom and glanced to the stalls before finding Fukui leaning over one of the sinks. She was applying liner to her bottom waterline.

I stepped to the sink next to her and twisted the handle.

She didn't even so much as look at me. "It doesn't bother me, if that's what you're wondering."

"Oh, really?" I smiled, pushed the soap dispenser, and then placed my hands under the running water. "That's good to hear. I thought the topic upset you."

"Nope." She pulled the black pencil from her left eye and moved to her right.

"Well, I'm glad. You didn't defend yourself, so I was worried."

"Her ragging on my choice in partners is the least of my problems."

I scrubbed my hands, watching the soap foam around the drain. "It's all part of the bigger picture, isn't it?"

She paused and pulled the pencil from her eye. Then the brown eyes shifted to me through the mirror.

"You want it all to stop, but don't know how to go about doing it. At least, not alone."

She watched me warily, brows furrowing in confusion, as I turned off the faucet. I reached for the paper towel stack hanging above the soap dispenser.

She returned to lining her waterline. "It's not that deep, Yori."

I began drying my hands, and once one was dry, I reached in my jean pocket and pulled out the navy blue compact. I held it out to her, and she pulled the pencil away from her eye again. This time, she straightened herself and pulled away from the mirror.

She stared down at it in confusion.

"When you want to do it, and not be alone, then use this." I gestured it to her, and her face scrunched in confusion and skepticism.

Her eyes flickered up to me and then back down at the compact. "Is this some kind of… gift? I'm not a lesbian, and I don't plan on liking girls any time soon."

"Wh…" I paused. "No, it's not—"

"I thought you were into Ami. She's the gay one."

"This gift isn't from me. You know what I'm talking about, Fukui."

Her confusion turned into pure suspicion. "Who is this from, then?"

I smiled softly. "The girl you asked for help. This is your chance to get it."

I gestured the compact to her once more and watched her face drop from hard suspicion to a soft realization.

Gingerly, with light fingers, she plucked the compact from my hand.

"When you're alone and ready, use it," I said, giving her Yori's signature wink. I turned on my heels. "I'll see you out there."

As I threw the paper away and opened the door to leave, I hoped Aiko made the right decision.

I hoped Fukui was ready to help us end this.

* * *

**A/N:**

*** **The Tenpo famine began in 1833. Shizuru was just being mean.

**** **_Yukaku_ were walled-in "pleasure quarters" where prostitution was legal. The prostitutes were called "_yujo_" which essentially means "play girls" or "pleasure women." After a while, the pleasure quarters began offering more than sex, such as dances, plays, etc. Eventually, it turned into something purely of entertainment, and so came the Geishas (originally men had these roles)—the entertainers of the yukaku and, eventually, "descendants" of the yujo.

******* Kyoho era started in July 1716.

Thanks to_ GrisailleDreams, FoxyBoxes1010, and YuYuHakushoObssesser_ for reviewing. And all who followed and faved. Things are pretty hard right now for me. At least, mentally. I'm trying to get into the habit of updating once a month like I used to. Hope you all liked the chapter; it gave me a lot of trouble. Hope to see y'all again soon and thanks for reading.


	20. A Step Forward Into Terror

**Shizuru.**

Kazuma was never the passive aggressive type. If something was bothering him, he either flat out confronted you about it or avoided you until he could figure a way to do so.

He'd been in the "avoiding" stage since Aiko left the other day.

After she left, I requested time off from work. I was going to make a point to Kazuma. It wasn't that he wasn't important, but that I could do this in his stead. He didn't have to burden himself.

I wouldn't have to worry about him.

I had plenty of old work-out clothes I'd bought before. All were from some New Year's Resolution to exercise more and stop working as much. Of course, that never actually happened. Each year I made a point to take on even more hours.

Now, I shoved all the exercise clothes into the camping bag that lay on my bed.

"Where're you going?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see Kazuma under the door's threshold.

"Genkai's," I replied simply, returning to packing.

I knew his brows furrowed, and he definitely had some pouty scowl. "It's that thing Aiko's in, isn't it?"

"Nope."

He paused, taken aback. I mean, I wouldn't outright _lie_, would I?

"…Then, what were you two talking about on the porch the other night?"

"Mom taught you better than to eavesdrop, Kazu." Idiot, of course I would. "She was telling me how much being at Genkai's helped her."

"Well, Genkai never trained me... but Urameshi always did say how it was like a level of hell or something," he mumbled. "I don't get why you'd want to go there."

I zipped the duffle bag.

"Guess I'm just bored," I dismissed.

"When you're bored, you take up new hobbies like knitting or chain smoking. You don't take up Genkai's training regime."

I hiked the bag over my shoulder. "Maybe I'm bored of chain smoking."

"Yeah and I'm tired of Yukina," he grumbled. "It's about whatever Aiko's gotten into, isn't it?"

"Studying's paying off there, Kazu."

"She really doesn't have faith in my fighting abilities, huh? She thinks just like Hiei, despite hating him," he spat, like it was an insult. I guess for her, it was. "Well, I'll show her. I'm coming with you—"

"I _told_ her to leave you out of this," I snapped, turning on my heels to tower over him. "And I intend to make sure you _stay_ out if, Kazuma."

His sharp features, once laced with irritation and betrayal, dropped to confusion.

"But why?" His brows furrowed. He began scratching the back of his head. He was more confused than hurt. "You know I can help, Sis."

With my next breath, all my pent up anger came out too. I hid the smile that crept up on my lips and kept the stern façade in place.

"You have other responsibilities now. You don't have time to be running around like a hoodlum again."

"I can juggle school and whatever's going on."

I walked past him. "Yeah. Well, even if that's true, I don't want you to."

He paused and looked over his shoulder to me with a dawning realization. "Because _you_ don't have faith in me."

"I just don't have faith in the luck you're dealt."

He reached for the strap of my bag and yanked me to a stop. "Sis, I can help. You know I can. I could help more than you… no offense."

I jerked the strap from his grip and sent a cold glare over my shoulder. "I'm not playing another round of waiting for you to come back alive."

I continued down the hallway, but his retort stopped me in my tracks. "So, what? You're just going to make _me_ play that game?"

I turned around, finding him right behind me, and grabbed him by his collar. Hoisting him towards me, the soles of his feet lifted from the ground as I brought his face down to mine.

"Kazu, you can make something of yourself. You have a shot here, okay?" I snapped. "Mom's gone. Dad's fuckin' around with entry-level gangbangers, and I'm working at a fucking _salon_. You got a shot at going places, and I'm not going to let you fuck it up for yourself because your pride's too big."

Mom's eyes narrowed on Dad's sharp features. "Working at a salon isn't bad and you know it, Sis. Just because it isn't a nursing position doesn't mean you're some lowlife in the family."

"Yeah, well, in comparison to what you can become, it doesn't mean shit." I shoved him from me, and he stumbled back a few steps before regaining footing. I made it to the stairs before he could follow me. "This has nothing about what you can and can't do in a fight, Kazuma."

Three steps in and I was stopped again. This time by a firm hand on my shoulder. I gripped his wrist and twisted, and though I could hear his grunts of suppressed pain, his hold stayed.

"But what happens if _you_ don't come back, huh?" When it came to family, we were all we had.

"I will."

"And how can I know that when I don't even know what you're getting into?"

I glanced up to him. "Because Aiko wouldn't let that happen."

"Bringing up Aiko doesn't help your case, you know…"

When it came to family, we were all we had…

"Look, Kazuma…"

"Yikes, I need to be worried if your tone's nice…"

I twisted his wrist around so it let go of me. He yelped in pain, and I continued until he fell to his knees. I squatted in front of him, continuing to twist his arm into ungodly angles.

"Aiko and I are both smart enough to know when to ask for help. If we need it, we'll ask you. Okay?" I spoke sternly, embodying Mom. "But until then, let us handle it. Neither of us wants to ruin what you've got going for you right now if we can't help it."

"I give! I give, Sis! Let go!" I complied and shoved his arm away from me. He toppled onto the stairs above him.

"So let us go as far as we can without you, Kazu," I continued. "When we need you, we'll call. Got it?"

He pouted and grumbled obscenities as he rubbed his elbow. I knew he heard every last word that came out of my mouth, though. We were family. I knew I couldn't stop him once he started in on something, and he knew the same went for me.

It would be new for him, letting me wander around like he had, getting my ass handed to me somewhere along the line like he had. But he'd accept it, because that's what I did for him.

That was our sibling code. We let each other do what we needed, and supported them each step of the way. We helped when we could, stepped in when we could, and backed out when asked.

Because we had our own lives to live. Our own mistakes to make. Our own trials to face.

And not a lick of this, so help me God, was Kazuma's.

"Alright," he grumbled. "I get it. This is your thing… I get it." He sat upright on the steps and looked down at me. He'd grown so much in the past year; Mom would have been happy to see him now. "But you _gotta_ promise me you'll call for help when you need it."

I gave him a flighty grin. "After I just had you screaming uncle, I don't know if I'll need your help."

His smirk was short-lived. It returned to the serious, thoughtful face he'd grown from many battles. "Seriously, Sis. I'm here, okay?"

I patted his shoulder and used it as leverage to stand up. "I know, Kazu. I know."

He didn't follow me when I left to the train station, but I knew he wanted to. I followed him to the Dark Tournament, but that was different. I didn't know where he'd run off to or what he'd gotten himself into. He knew at least knew where I was going. Following me would be pointless and earn him a broken arm.

The train ride was long, but the cars were near empty so late at night. There was a stark transition from one stop to the last, where the city became desolate plains. The street lamps were few and far between in the last town, I noticed when I stepped off the train platform. Small houses and stores lined the one-lane street.

It was quiet. It was a secluded town. A young girl, perhaps around the age of seven, was alone, walking her dog in the night. A soft chill fluttered down my neck. My face warmed at the thought of families being so trusting, innocent. The thought of families living in a place with no worries.

It must have been the picture-perfect town. I envied them.

At the bus stop, I noticed the stained cement near the bench: cigarette butts smeared into the ground. I thought of Aiko. My envy disappeared and a sort of calm replaced it.

The bus hissed to a stop and groaned as it leaned to let me on. The driver was an old man who should have been spending his last days with his family. Instead, he cheerfully hummed a tired smooth jazz tune as he drove me to the edge of the mountains.

There was something about stepping foot on Genkai's land. It was new, calming, but, most importantly, _purifying_. Maybe it had something to do with stepping past the torri. Or maybe it was just because I walked up a hundred flight's worth of stairs and finally hit—relatively—flat land.

Maybe, and perhaps honestly, it was because I wanted that innocence in my life.

The compound smelled natural, like a face full of dirt and grass, and a lingering smell of pollen and oak. It was a peaceful place once one ignored what people came here for: to hone themselves, find themselves, _strengthen_ themselves.

It seemed tonight, though, there was no need to ignore it. Cicadas were quieting down; many too tired to keep up their crying for longer than a few hours. Now, crickets chirped to make up for their slack. As I rounded the corner of the open hallway, heading into the main courtyard across from the main temple, I found Aiko and Kurama.

He'd noticed I'd arrived the moment I stepped foot off the stairs. Aiko, though, was a bit busy grumbling over a hefty hardback cover.

Her groans were soft, crawling through the open night air. "I fucking hate this class."

Kurama responded calmly to her complaints, chiding her softly about how the material was necessary. His words were fluid like his hands as they molded onigiri into their traditional shape. Aiko, hearing my footsteps, leaned past Kurama to see who they belonged to.

She gave Kurama something of an uncommitted glare. "So, what? Were you just going to let her sneak up on me?"

"I assumed you invited her," he replied. He set the perfectly shaped rice ball on the plate between them before reaching into the rice cooker with a wooden spoon to begin another.

"No, I would have mentioned if I was bringing _Kazuma's_ _sister_ up here."

"Ah, I suppose you're right."

"…You were going to let her sneak up on me."

"She's not torturing you tonight?" I asked.

"No, I suspect my life will end in about three hours, though." She removed her half-assed glare from Kurama and settled a neutral gaze on me.

I hiked my bag up on my shoulder to fit snug and passed them by. "Where is she?"

She let out a small yawn. "She should still be up. She's likely in the main common room."

"Her fingers are still working the game console's controller," Kurama confirmed.

I passed them by. "Thanks."

"You know… They list these chemicals like people won't try and make the drugs in their bathroom," she said, turning back to Kurama. "This author is so dense. Who just lists the basic ingredients to drugs like this?"

"Ingredients are only half the battle of making chemical compounds," he replied. "Physically _making_ it matters most. It doesn't come out the same if done wrong."

"I guess, yeah… They had us make some bootleg aspirin in chemistry last week, remember?"

"Yes, you let yours heat for too long and it burned to a crisp."

"…Right."

"Here, try this one. I didn't wrap it with seaweed."

I came to the large shoji doors and waited a second before opening them. Genkai sat on a small, pink cushion in the large room—empty aside from the TV, game console, and tea table. What looked like some variation of Street Fighter played out on the screen.

Genkai paid no mind to her new visitor. She was probably used to Aiko bringing in revenue like this. Another person at her doorstep was nothing to be surprised about. I set my bag by the door and slid it closed behind me before heading towards her.

I sat on the small cushion next to her, where another console lay in front. I waited for her to finish the battle before picking it up. As I made myself comfortable, she shifted around the menu screen and set up the next game for two players.

I picked a random character, a samurai, as she chose an unnecessarily beefy, shirtless, middle-aged man. She was a lot more skilled than I expected, and held no mercy handing my ass to me on a silver platter. Combo after combo after combo, I finally broke it and laid a heavy hit on Shirtless von Beefy.

We continued the games, with me occasionally beating her every few sets. Finally, after what felt like an hour or so, she seemed to tire of the one-on-one battle and got up to change the game. She acknowledged me with a gruff voice as she took out the cartridge.

"So, what's _your_ reasoning for dragging your sorry ass to my temple?" she grunted.

"I don't want Kazuma involved in what Aiko's involved in."

"That little twit brings in more and more of you girls as the weeks pass. Sometimes I feel like I'm running a brothel."

I felt a smile creeping up on my lips. "You use what kills, you know?"

She smirked.

* * *

**Kurama.**

Another date. Below it: names and numbers. They've been steadily increasing over the past few months. Some more so than others, but each was proving to grow faster and faster as time passed.

Jin and Shishiwakamaru were closing in on low A-class level. Chu, Rinku, and Suzuki weren't far behind.

A soft grunt came to the left of me, and I pulled my eyes away from the small notebook to find Aiko had rolled over. Heavy lids opened slightly before being pulled back down. They tried again to open, but she couldn't manage.

Amused, my gaze lingered on her for a second more before I returned to the data. I needed to return to Makai tonight, so this had to be finished quickly. Thankful for the small window near the ceiling of the room that let in moonlight, I read the pages without strain.

"How's progress?" Sleep slurred her words, and with a hefty gruff she rolled onto her back.

"Good, actually," I replied, looking to find her with her eyes still closed as if she was sleeping. "They're still not where I need them to be, but their progress in strength is astounding. It's rare to grow so much in such a short time. Jin's been growing the fastest, I suppose."

"Jin?" she grunted, and I nodded. "Who's that?"

"I'm sure you haven't met him, yet. He's up the mountain."

There was a long pause… quite long. A good minute had passed before she managed: "Good. That's good."

"What's good?"

Again, a long period of silence before she gruffed: "That."

"What?" I paused, and tried again. "What's good?"

"That." Minutes passed again. "Progress."

I laughed quite loud—it was short, but loud. She looked up to me with tired, angry eyes. I placated her with a quiet voice as she dozed off again—this time curled closer to me.

The mechanical pencil twirled between my fingers a few times as I pondered the equation. Assuming they continued growing stronger at a steady rate, then…. A heavy snort, followed by a cough. I gently lifted her face from the pillow and lay it in a more comfortable position to steady her breathing.

By time… In regards to days.

Another snort. Another cough. Again, I repositioned her face to keep from suffocating.

Pencil tapping against the notebook at the projected data, I hummed in thought. It would take another eight months for them to reach S-class. At least, S-class that could handle the title of a second-in-command's army. That would be the case if they continued growing as they were now. It would take until next May for them collectively to reach that goal.

Individually…

Another snort. Another cough. Again, I repositioned her face to keep from suffocating.

Jin, Chu, and Touya could reach the goal in four months. It would be a start.

Another snort. Another cough. Again, I repositioned her face to keep from suffocating. At this point, I was wondering if she was honestly this dense, or if she was toying with me. Curious, I left a hand under her face, cradling it, to see if it would stop her from moving. Or, at least, stop her from shoving her face into the pillow.

Balancing the notebook on my leg, I figured the time for if their growth was exponential. I'd managed to get the answer and she hadn't moved once. Freeing my hand, I returned to finding the time for each individually.

As a collective group, it would take only until this December. The same few would be ahead of the crop at the beginning of November.

Was there a _way_ to make their strength grow exponentially? I could handle Shachi much quicker that way. The earlier I had my men, the earlier I could rid him from the living realms.

I still left him to squirm. He knew he was on my list, that his time was nearing its end. His tone at meetings became more and more hostile. His obstinacy became more and more prominent; his paranoia, more and more debilitating.

He held himself up in public, going about his day and interacting with others almost like normal. There were the slight mannerisms that I noticed, though. The occasional pitches in his breathing when he was alone, the bouts of anger when he perceived a nonexistent threat, and the obsessive tendencies to ensure he was safe before heading anywhere alone.

They were all subtle, but I knew the signs well. The signs of a breaking person. Someone whose mental capacities were diminishing—becoming overrun by paranoia. The symptoms were telltale to someone who knew how to cause them.

He was beginning to believe his own men were turning against him in favor of me. With no proof and too much pride to seek reassurance, he fermented in his delusions in private.

My fleeting presence—behind his office door, around the corner of the hallway, behind him in the dead of night—gave his paranoia all the fuel it needed. Delusions began with a quick start, and now, if I kept it up long enough, I could truly drive him mad.

Part of me wanted to let him live long enough to experience the horror that were hallucinations. Real, non-substance induced hallucinations. It was rock bottom when your own head provided false truth that something truly not real was indeed, with all the sensory stimulation present, real.

Sight. Smell. Sound. Touch. Taste. All of it. None are safe from the parasite that is hallucinations. It creeps up in sultry ways, soft and subtle at first. It left one unsure whether it was just a "trick" of the mind. But they often build up. They continue to grow, until even the most blatant, outrageous hallucination seems true.

Delusions back it up, convincing and promising that it, indeed, was real. And there's no escape, except for whatever compulsion is necessary. New ones fail just as quickly as they flourished until there's but one option left.

But that option wasn't ideal for me. I couldn't have his dead body be a product of his own actions. No, I had a point to make, and I had to make sure all those who paid mind received the message.

So, the exponential growth wasn't _too_ big a necessity for me. The suffering was what gave me delight; it was part of the show, after all. It would be a shame to end it early. I could stand to wait as long as I needed.

Any time between January and May would be his time to die. A large window, it was, as well as a cruel one. For someone suffering from paranoia, that long a time would be enough to drive anyone to the brink. There was also the possibility of him being driven so mad he attacked me first. I welcomed that wholeheartedly. It would make my executive decision much easier. And, luckily, I would have at least half of my men prepared to step into his army's place if needed.

Another snort. Another cough. I looked over to find her face pressed into the pillow yet again.

With a small sigh, I set the notebook to the side of my futon and lay next to her. Picking her head up from the pillow for the fourth time, I repositioned it and her body. Lying on her back, she snored softly for a few seconds before clearing her throat and frowning.

I couldn't help but remember how easily it was for me to slip back into this line of thinking. Not minding the idea of mental torture, enacting it, and enjoying it. It was a reminder of my past. The way I handled relationships—platonic or otherwise—the way I dealt with business.

It was a strange, full circle, in which I was becoming who I used to be to save to who I was now. I couldn't help but wonder if the beginning and the end would truly be one and the same. There was a possibility of me dying in the cold war—whether by Yomi or through the escalation of the war itself. I, painfully noted, was not the strongest. It would be strange to die in the mindset I grew with.

Her hand lifted and planted on my face as she slurred her words. "Stop looking at me, you fucking creep."

Her hand began sliding down my face. I placed mine upon hers, stopping it at the base of my cheek. Heavy, her arm went limp, but I kept her hand there still.

It was a way of life that was hard to break out of. Millennia of living a certain way was corrected in a less than a mere decade. Of course, it was no surprise that the old habits resurfaced with ease.

Mother was the first to break the behavior—nip it at the bud. She was the reason to correct myself. Of course, it was no surprise that old habits resurfaced with ease when her safety was threatened. It was only the bud she nipped, after all. She didn't cut it at the root. But familial ties were safe ties among youkai. Familial ties were sacred to only some, but respected by all. Betrayal by blood, despite not being uncommon, was frowned upon.

Betrayal was expected by others. There was no reason to believe that anyone but kin would be trustworthy. Betrayal was as common as death, and it often begot death. Ironically, whom one confided in was telltale to whom one did not trust fully: lover or friend, it didn't matter.

But there was one trait that told a youkai whom to not trust, and that was humanity.

Back when the barrier was down, and youkai and humans roamed freely, we didn't take kindly to each other. Not when they were our food source. Open battles soon turned to witch hunts as centuries passed.

Even now, centuries upon centuries later, it was still a silent issue. One approached with caution and stealth. If reported in this realm, a youkai could almost certainly face death.

I lie next to her, close enough to hear her rhythmic breathing. The rise and fall of her chest; the quick, jolting pupils under closed lids; the subtle expressions made in her slumber; were all so similar. There weren't many differences between youkai and humans. The differences that were, though, were drastic.

Those differences were enough to spark fear, and fear often begot betrayal. It was taboo to be with a human when laws restricted one from being in the same realm as them. It was a common tale one would hear about an old friend who had long ago disappeared from Makai. They'd disappeared, presumed to have followed their dreams and ended up elsewhere... Only to find out a human lover had sold them out to what was now known as Barrier Regulations.

And I managed to find someone who would have the least trouble turning me in if she so pleased.

With soft grunts and groans, she rolled over again, pressing into me and wrapping her arms around me. I smoothed the fabric of her night shirt as it bunched up against her waist before resting my hand on her back.

I figured if I were to fall prey to betrayal, I wouldn't mind it being by her.

* * *

**Koenma.**

It took months, but we managed to close in on flagging all the files of youkai who had run-ins with Barrier Regulations. Unfortunately, those files chalked up to a good couple million by themselves. I finally gave in and made Jorge help. I had him begin reading through the files as I finished the remaining thousand or so left to be looked at.

The files Jorge separated went into one of three categories: suspicious, notorious, and check again. The "notorious" towered over the "suspicious" and "check-again" ten-fold.

Jorge sat at one of the chairs against the wall and grumbled to himself as he adjusted his reading glasses. His eyes shifted back and forth between another larger, informative file and the file in his lap. I didn't snap at him, but his mumbling complaints were beginning to grate on my nerves.

I couldn't blame him. Having to go through one's entire family linage or research their clan was tedious. I was close to ripping my hair out.

"Oh, Lord Koenma…" Jorge's voice dropped in surprise. "Look! Look at this…"

I took the file from him and glanced at the mugshot. It wasn't familiar. I skimmed through the case file's text. My heart skipped a beat and launched into my throat.

"Lord Koenma, they don't interact with anyone but their own…"

"Obviously, Jorge," I spat, noticing I was crinkling the pages. I loosened my grip, and the files spilled to the floor in a mess. "Get me my compact."

Jorge, instead, had already scrambled to the floor to pick up the pages. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

"I'm telling _Aiko_ what to do next," I snapped, bending down to take the pages from him. "We don't need to bring this up."

He stood and headed to the file room's exit. His footsteps could be heard as I shoved the file aside and began digging through the boxes of files I'd yet to look through. It had to be in there. There was no way I would let her slip past me; I would have noticed if _she_ was caught by Barrier Regulations…

Jorge had already returned to me with the compact before I was even close to finding her file. He took another box of files and began sifting through them with me. Another frustratingly long twenty minutes passed before Jorge exclaimed he'd found her.

Her mugshot: striking red eyes and sparkling blue hair. Yue.

I skimmed through her file, noting the out of character behavior. Of course, a person acted on their own will and had their own values—we heard stories of one such person already. But this clan was tight-knit, relentless. They tied themselves to their ideals like a martyr to their tangible, personified cause.

They dealt with traitors and rebellions with the same methods. Exile or execution.

Yue, unfortunately, received the latter for her disobedience.

Hundreds of years ago, this occurred, I noted. Looking at the dates, I compared the date the barrier went up. Laws became strict decades ago, but it was up for centuries. And she was just a few away… A few decades before it went up.

Even if I were to try talking to the clan about Yue, I would be met with silence. Cordial silence, but tight-lipped obstinacy nonetheless. I was a man after all, and approaching them as a toddler would change nothing. Besides, I was not their Lord; they had none.

"Lord Koenma." Jorge's voice brought me back. "Are you going to ask her about this? She would know… They seem big on passing down stories as lessons."

Shame swept over me. A part of me didn't want to bring it up to her. I would have to, one day. One day soon…

"Let's focus on the living first," I replied.

"Huh?" He watched as I stood, with both Yue's file and the original culprit's in hand, and headed to my office. "What do you mean?"

"I want a live prisoner," I replied, holding my hand out as I walked. "Someone who can talk back—defend themselves."

Jorge came up next to me and set the compact in my open palm. "How can we do that? Anyone sent to Barrier Regulation camps don't come out alive…"

I waited for Aiko to pick up her compact. The fuzz of the screen was taking much too long to disappear. Finally, it flickered away, and the dirty and bruised girl appeared on screen.

"Guess it can't be good if you're contacting me, huh?" she snorted, blood dribbling out of her nose and over her the smirk on her lips. "What did I fuck up this time?"

"I need a live prisoner."

She paused, her smirk died. A harsh grunt, contorted face, and then she disappeared. The screen jumped around until it finally landed upright. Apparently, it was sunny outside today. The compound was looking particularly clean, with freshly wiped wood floors and a spotless courtyard.

"…Aiko?"

"What the _fuck_, you old hag?!" she screamed, her voice breaking in pain.

Genkai's voice came next, muffled and sly. I couldn't make out what she said. Just seconds later the compact was picked up and Aiko appeared on screen again. Blood poured down her chin profusely.

"What does that mean?" she spat. "A _live_ prisoner?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I found something while digging through old files." Her furrowed brows relaxed, and her frown softened soon after. "I'll have some copies sent to you—don't show them to _anyone_."

"Who's 'anyone'?"

"Anyone as in '_no one_.' Not even Kurama," I pressed.

"Okay…"

I took a deep breath. "But what I need before exploring the claims in those files is a live prisoner."

"So, you want someone from Natsume's camp?" she mumbled.

"Unless you know of another camp."

She'd looked away from the compact, eyes shifting around gently on the ground in thought. "…I might have a plan." I was surprised. I didn't think she'd actually _already_ have a way to go about it. She then looked up to me. "It may take a while, but if it works out, I can probably get a prisoner for you."

Fukui.

"Alive," I emphasized. "We need to be able to talk to them, extract information."

"One prison to another," she sighed, waving a dismissive hand around. "Got it."

"How long do you think this will take you?"

She paused. Blood continued dripping from her face as I waited. "For all the preliminaries to clear, it could take about a month, tops…. I'll do my best to start figuring how to get someone out. Worst case, I won't be able to get this done until the winter."

"Start figuring a plan for the camp _now_," I said. "Worry about your preliminaries later."

"I'm going to plan as if the preliminaries are already cleared. What I'm _saying_, though, is that there's no plan if I don't have my preliminaries covered."

"Figure another way, then."

"There's suicide bombing, maybe."

"Do you take anything seriously?"

"Do you _listen_ to anything I say seriously?"

She was worse than Yusuke, sometimes. And she didn't have the charm or the track record to back it up. "You can find a way to free a prisoner without Fukui or Ryuunosuke, Aiko. You got in the camp; you have access to it. Find another way."

She stared me down with cold eyes. They resembled someone she held dear to her, the way they narrowed coldly. I wondered if he noticed how well she could emulate his features sometimes. They needed a break from each other.

Quickly, though, she steeled her face to hide the brewing emotion. "…Yes, sir."

"You got this far, Aiko," I said. "Put your mind to it. You'll find another way if it doesn't pan out."

Before she could reply, I shut the compact.

"She argues with you a lot," Jorge said as I threw the compact in my desk's side drawer. "And there hasn't been much progress lately…"

"She's our best option right now, Jorge," I replied, sitting in the plush office chair. I set the two files before me and opened them both. "Besides, I don't hold it against her too much."

"Yusuke's backtalk must have really gotten to you. You're more spineless with her," he rambled. "She's pretty, but not enough to make you bend over backwards. Unless… you like the school girl type, Lord Koenma?"

I bit the pacifier and held my tone. "No, Jorge—"

"She's no Benzaiten-sama," he continued, nodding to himself. *****

"Leave Benten out of this!"

He jumped back at my voice. "Sorry, Lord Koenma!"

"Comparing a goddess to a mortal, teenage girl… She's a human girl who's being forced into a world of kill or be killed. She's just arguing back so it can feel like she has some sense of control over what happens."

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel sorry for her. I was using her as a pawn. She was disposable, unfortunately. But she and I both knew that unless something—or someone—better came along, she was the one for the job. I let her get away with plenty, but only because there was the possibility of her not returning each time I sent her out.

I would deal with Kurama when that time came. I would deal with Yusuke too, and even Kuwabara. But until then, we did our awkward dance: an ugly tango. Filled with stepping on each other's toes and muttering obscenities under our breath behind forced stage smiles.

"You give in to her often," he said, cupping his chin in thought. Then, he plopped his fist in his hand. "I see! Giving her a sense of control with the little things keeps her tame. I underestimated you, Lord Koenma! You're not as spineless as you look."

I was about to grind my teeth clean through the pacifier. "Just go make the copies, Jorge…"

I wanted to look at them for a while before that, but if I didn't get rid of him I would have likely strangled him. Yue's picture was taken from me that second, drifting away—seemingly—slowly. I watched Jorge scurry out of my office to find a copy machine.

I owed him more credit than I gave him. Had he not caught the small line of text, it could have slipped through our fingers. It would have remained buried in the piles of millions. Now, I would have to comb through her history—her relationships, her entire life.

Every interaction.

It was subtle, her impact on this case. It made no sense for her to be a criminal. For her to be charged with conspiracy—with _anything_.

A case like hers would have been popular, had it been true, had it gotten around.

Perhaps I was looking too far into it. It could be a false positive; I only found what I wanted to find. But still, with who she was—her clan, her blood—it was unlikely. It was unlike them to bother with anyone but their own, let alone plan to commit what were now considered war crimes.

* * *

**Fukui.**

My thumb rubbed against the navy blue cover, leaving a smudged finger print in its wake. Who the hell was Ito, Yori? She knew Aiko?

I _knew_ the little bitch was up to something…

I shoved the compact in my jacket pocket.

"…Right, Hitomi?"

I looked to Akane, who had just come up behind me.

"Huh?"

"I wish I could zone out like you," she sighed, handing me a hot cup of coffee as Ami trailed into the room behind her. "Ami should do something extravagant for her final in her child development class."

"They're children, Akane," Ami sighed. "They can't hold notes like that."

"Yeah but that song—I mean, it's good and all but, really, Ami?" Akane groaned. "Your voice has so much more talent. You could do great songs."

"I will for the juries in my major class," she reassured. "We had to make something that resembled the graduation song."

"You're just tired of hearing it, Akane," I said, taking a sip.

"I'm justified in that," she replied. "Especially when I hear it six fucking times a day, every day of the week."

We sat in Ami's room, back home. We usually stopped by here every so often—twice a year at most—for an errand. I was always forced to leave early when we stopped by. I eventually asked to just not come over at all, considering I would leave before them. My father told me it was rude to not spend as much time with them as possible. They were his boss' daughters, after all.

So in the beginning, I asked to stay.

_"Ami has shit to do, Hitomi," Akane said each time I asked to stay. "No offence, but your family's just secretarial. You don't have clearance for this."_

All I knew was Ami dressed in a white kimono for her events. Why?

_"Tradition." Ami smiled, giving me the same shrug each time._

The only thing I got to be a part of was the torture and extraction. There were times I wasn't even allowed to participate in that, either. Usually they were high profile cases. Often, Ami and Akane wouldn't be allowed to participate either.

"Should I go back to my natural color?" Ami asked, looking at herself in her white vanity mirror. She gently fingered through her recently touched-up blonde roots. "I feel like the blonde look is getting a tad old."

"Yeah, you _have_ been blonde for a couple years now, huh?" Akane mused to herself, flipping through a magazine with one hand and holding her coffee in the other. "What about another color?"

"Maybe red?" Ami suggested.

Akane scoffed. "Sorry, that color's been tainted by Aiko's weird feminine boyfriend."

"What do you think, Hitomi?" Ami looked to me through the mirror.

I imagined a myriad of colors on her briefly. "Natural colors or…?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you think would look nice."

"Maybe if you put some toner in it, like a light pink?"

"She wants to be cute, not a damn Lolita, Hitomi," Akane snorted.

"Lolita style is cute," Ami interjected, fluffing her hair over her shoulders. She eyed the strands in thought.

"It is, but like… I keep thinking of pedophiles when I see the dresses. They're always making their victims dress like that or something."

"You watch too many cop dramas."

"I'm sorry. It's nice living vicariously through the rough and tough cop babes, okay?" She turned to me. "Doesn't it make you think of pedophiles?"

I nodded. "That book didn't help."

"The book was supposed to show how disturbing Humbert was," Ami noted. "It was told through his perspective, wasn't it? Of course it would come off as acceptable."

"And look at how people interpret it." Akane cocked her head to the side, flipping to another page. "You know, I may commit mass genocide but at least I'm not a fucking pedophile."

There was a knock at the door, and Ami called to her housekeeper that it was fine to come in.

And in came Junichi, one of Ami's many, dazzlingly attractive housekeepers. He had auburn hair, honey brown eyes, and a soft jawline that gave him a boyish charm.

The Hayashi residence employed young, attractive men—mainly at Mrs. Hayashi's request—who needed a job while they were in college. They just had to wear a suit, be attractive, and cook and clean. The unfortunate downside to this? There was one main house rule for them: don't date the Hayashi's daughter or her friends.

So I lusted from afar.

It wasn't like it mattered anyway. Even if the rule wasn't in place, if they knew what I did, the things I've done, they wouldn't want me.

"Miss Ami, the room's been prepared," Junichi said, bowing slightly at the waist. "Have you chosen an artist to play for the duration?"

He then stepped in the room and pulled out a thin envelope from his blazer.

"Thank you, Junichi!" Ami smiled, taking the envelope. "I have. It's on the chair there. Please see Hitomi out, will you?"

"Of course." He looked to me and I stood from my spot on the edge of the king-sized Western-style bed.

"Oh, Akane," Ami giggled. "It seems you were in two places at once on the island yet again."

"What?" She cocked her head up from the magazine. "I was in the hotel the entire time."

"Well, it seems you were charged for the drinks you ordered in the VIP booths of the arena."

"I never leave the hotel," she groaned. "It's that fucking little rat youkai posing as me again."

Since Akane hit puberty, one of Reikai's associates, who had the gift of shapeshifting, took a liking to her appearance. It became a running gag between the Tournament and Reikai officials. They could never tell if it truly was Akane ordering drinks in the VIP lounges or if it was the associate, there to watch over the tournament and see things through with the rest of the Barrier Officials.

"That little rat better hope it never crosses paths with me on that island. So help me God, I'll have it executed." Akane didn't know what the associate looked like, so there was nothing she could do.

"Oh, come on, Akane," Ami chided gently. "It's all in good fun."

"Yeah? Well when I find out what fuckin' breed that rat is, I'm taking out that clan too," she snapped, returning to her magazine. "Another fucking critter scurrying around and posing as a human—it's disgusting. I don't even care about bringing it in for interrogation or asking for credentials. Posing as me is enough to warrant it being killed on the spot. It shouldn't have a job with Reikai to begin with."

I paused, wondering why that was so important for me…. Because we never killed youkai outside of the camps. Never. At least… we weren't supposed to. _It'd be a waste,_ was the phrase thrown around. _But shit happens._

Akane's hatred flared so easily, ever since we became more involved in the camp. Then again, maybe it's always been this bad, and I was just noticing it more often as I tried to separate from it.

I handed Junichi my coffee.

Akane turned her attention to me briefly. "Are you heading back to Tohoku now?"

I glanced to the chair, finding the CD Ami picked. The_ Gymnopédies_. She always did like classical.

"No, I'm going to stop by home really quick," I replied. "See my dad."

"See you tonight then." Akane, with her eyes glued to the magazine still, gave a lazy wave goodbye as I followed Junichi to the foyer.

Upon opening the front door, I saw Hideyoshi sitting in the car, waiting at the curb. He'd been my personal driver since we came here when I was little. As usual, as I settled in the back seat, he asked how my day went.

"Same," I replied.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

His voice was aged, throaty like any other old man's, but his tone was always calm and leveled. It reminded me of the way a psychiatrist spoke to their patient. It was soothing and familiar.

I shrugged, leaning against the window as he eased on the gas. "I guess."

"Where would you like to go first?"

"Home."

"Your father is talking to Ryuunosuke."

I glanced to the rearview mirror to see his tired, old eyes. I wondered how much longer he had to live. I didn't want Hideyoshi to pass on. He had another five to ten years left in him…

"Will Ryuu still be there when we get there?"

"You know they always wait to see you if they know you're coming around," he reassured me. I shoved my hands into my jacket pocket. "And before I left, I mentioned I would be picking you up."

My hand bumped into the cold compact, and I pulled it out once more to look at it.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

On what scale was Aiko trying to stop this? Just trying to stop Akane wouldn't make much of a difference. There was no way she could overthrow Reikai. If that was her goal, she was going to need a _lot_ of help from up top.

Would it be worth it to help her? On such a small scale, the impact would be meaningless.

But then what did I expect by going to her for help before? …I just wanted to sleep at night. It didn't make much of a difference, honestly. I couldn't sleep any better, and the days didn't change. I still did the same horrible things. What did I really expect from her?

I just wanted someone to know, I guess. Know what I did, and have their opinion of me not change. Aiko had her opinion, and though it wasn't good, it wasn't like it would change much. It didn't seem to. But… she had a plan. Would it actually work? If it didn't…

Honestly, as much as I wouldn't mind dying, I didn't want to bring shame to my father. Suicide was enough to do so, but being a traitor brought a whole other level of shame. He may as well be exiled himself, if not executed.

"…this time?"

"Huh?" I looked to the rearview mirror to meet Hideyoshi's eyes.

"What music did Miss Ami pick this time?" he asked again.

He liked Ami's choice in music, and he said when he was younger he attended as many recitals as he could. He recognized a lot of names from Ami's collection that I'd rattled off over the years.

"The _Gymnopédies_," I replied.

"Aerik Tsatie," he mused, a smile growing under his mustache. "My favorite is the first movement."

I forced another smile, but considering I honestly didn't care, it was a hard feat. "I'll listen to it sometime."

As much as I loved Hideyoshi, I often tuned out his rambling after a while. I zoned back in every so often to catch the last few words and then ask a simple question.

"Oh, who did you say you went with again?" I asked, a couple minutes into this story.

"My second daughter, Mayu," he replied.

"Oh, right, right." I looked back down at the compact and frowned at the smudged fingerprint. I rubbed it on my jacket and it disappeared.

What did she even have planned? Exposing us? To who? Reikai? They funded us. And even if it all worked, what then? What would I do with myself? This life was all I knew—I may have hated it, but it's all I was familiar with. Who would I be, if not myself? Myself—the person I loathed.

The door I was leaning on opened, and I caught myself before falling out of the car. I looked up to Hideyoshi, smiled, and thanked him before heading inside. Being home was bittersweet. It held all my worst memories, but it was the only place where someone loved me.

After taking off my shoes, I headed to the staircase. Luckily, Ryuunosuke had just come around the corner of the second floor hallway. They looked down to me with warm, familiar burgundy eyes, and smiled.

"Ryuu!" I quickened my pace up the stairs to meet them. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in months."

Their arms wrapped around me, pulling my face into their thick, crisp blazer. Familiar smell of warm spice, a popular cologne, waded around me.

Their grip tightened around me, holding me tight. I felt an unusual amount of emotion bubbling up in my chest. I didn't know why, I couldn't explain it, but my face burned. My eyes stung. Perhaps it was because I wanted to let loose. Perhaps it was because I wanted someone to show they cared.

I wanted help, but I didn't know how to ask for it. I didn't know where to ask for it.

Immediately, I regretted letting loose. I hoped they couldn't see me cry. I buried my wet face into their blazer, but my pathetic whimpers gave me away. Their hand smoothed my hair, and they leaned down to whisper.

"We're all here for you. You won't be alone."

I froze as they pulled away. Their hands lingered on my shoulder before they stepped past me. I watched them descend the stairs. Before they left, they bowed slightly to Hideyoshi at the door, who did the same before looking up to me.

"Miss Hitomi," Miss Sendai called to me from the other end of the hall.

Before I thought to wipe my face, I turned to her, finding Shindo next to her. They didn't ask why I was crying, because…

"Would you like a hot bath prepared?" Miss Sendai smiled, deepening her crow's feet. "I'm preparing dinner, right now. Your favorite."

I found myself smiling. I knew my father would never take my side, never care. His work was all he had, and so, was all I had. Or so I thought. But it would be okay, I thought, because I had everyone else.

"Yes, please. That'd be nice."

* * *

**A/N: **

***** _Benzaiten_ is the Japanese goddess/deity of everything that flows: words, eloquence, music, etc.

Thanks to _GrisailleDreams, mamimartini, YuYuHakushoObsesser, Shalarean, Mizz Ri, _and a guest for reviewing last chapter! And thanks to all who followed and faved to tag along. Hope you all liked this chapter.


	21. A World of Ifs

**_PART XI. "A World of 'Ifs'."_**

* * *

_"__A world of 'if's, but it would make no difference. …The past was behind me. The best thing now would be to stop looking over my shoulder. It was time to forget the past and look to the present and future."_

_― __Darren Shan._

* * *

**Aiko.**

The smoke didn't sting the same way anymore. It was there, prominent and scraping down my throat, but it was a tired, familiar kind of welcome. I had stopped a while back, toned it down quite a bit, but it was the least unhealthy option I had to indulge in.

"...even listening?" Her voice was soft, partially due to my being so deep in thought—about nothing in particular, white noise—but mostly due to the babbling river water.

"Hm?" I looked over my shoulder. Up the small hill from my perch at the edge of the riverbed, I found Fukui and Ryuunosuke standing. "Oh."

I figured they'd come alone. If they were playing me the way I was playing them, they wouldn't take me out so early. They'd wait until I truly let them into the operation, until they knew who else was involved.

That's why I wouldn't let them meet anyone else. I would be the only one caught. The rest of the girls could live their lives, move on, and someone else could take my place.

"You had to make us drive out to the middle of Bum Fuck Egypt, huh?" Fukui grumbled, looking around the otherwise empty scenery.

The train line to Genkai's ended here. I spent plenty of time over the past few months waiting for the bus that would take me into the mountains. The town was small, quiet. Despite the amount of people living here, it felt like a ghost town. After the few blocks of residential housing, it had one main street that held businesses and the like.

That street diverged into two paths. One connected to the route that led to the farmland, and the other was the bus route that passed through the mountains.

I stood with a gruff. I dusted the dirt and grass from my bottom before heading up the riverbank's hill. Digging in the back of my jean pockets, I pulled out their sleek compacts. Fukui caught her deep navy blue as Ryuunosuke let their cerulean drop into the palm of their hand.

"I'm discussing business. It's easier to tell if I'm being watched out here."

"Less ki," Ryuunosuke noted, adjusting their glasses. "What are these?"

"Communicators," I replied, walking past them and eyeing Ryuunosuke's sleek black sedan. "You can't call anyone but me, but I'm the only one you'll be working with so that doesn't matter much."

A nice car; a newer model. Something a middle-class family would own, surprisingly. One last burning inhale and I dropped the cigarette near the tire.

"It's fine," Ryuunosuke said curtly as they watched me graze the tips of my fingers along the hot black hood. "I know how to get ahold of Botan."

"She just did me a favor." I tried hiding my eagerness to shoot them down as I ground the cigarette butt into the dirt.

Calm. Calm. Stay calm. You're in control here, Aiko. Act like it.

"So I take it we'll never meet who you work with." Ryuunosuke eyed their compact.

"Of course not." I turned on my heels to face the two. "Not only does it not concern you, but I'm sure you can understand why I don't fully trust you."

"If you don't trust us, you shouldn't be working with us—"

"Ryuunosuke," Fukui clipped. "It's fine. I don't blame her, but I'm curious. What use do you think you can make of us when you don't trust us?"

"Ryuunosuke." I turned to them. "You have access to Reikai's files network, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you have access to the network at the dealership?"

They adjusted their thin rimmed glasses. "Give me enough time and I can have access to anything."

"I like that answer." I smiled and looked to Fukui. "You, on the other hand…"

Fukui let a scowl grace her otherwise apathetic face.

"Let's take a walk," I said, nodding over my shoulder, toward the little town. "Alone."

Ryuunosuke's eyes flickered to Fukui briefly before settling on me again. I countered their tense jaw with a faux calm expression.

"It's fine, Ryuu," Fukui said, stepping towards me. "I'll meet you back here in a while."

Turning on my heels, I led the way along the narrow dirt road. She stayed a couple steps behind me, even when I slowed my stride to allow her to keep up.

"Well, what's the plan?" she asked as the dirt road began molding into asphalt as we neared the town.

"You could call it a trust-building exercise," I replied.

"Your jokes are never funny."

"I need you and Ryuunosuke to help me steal a prisoner—alive."

I looked over my shoulder when I heard the scuffling of her shoes stop.

"Just how far do you think you can take this?" Shock covered her face; wide brown eyes stared at me in utter surprise.

I turned away from her, continuing down the relatively busy street.

"As far as I can," I replied, spotting the familiar girl with her trusty dog. "Don't worry about it."

I waved to her with a small smile, and she returned the gesture with a glowing grin.

"I don't want to help if it's useless in the end," Fukui retorted. "I need to know—how far are you planning on taking this? Do you _really_ think you can take down Reikai?"

"I'll do what I need to." I stepped into one of the fruit vendor's shacks and eyed the freshly picked fruit in the boxes.

I could feel her irritation boiling around her as she watched me pick around the mandarins. After picking a few out, I paid at the small cashier desk where the old woman bid me a cheerful goodbye. Her anger was palpable. It was practically shoving me out of the oversized shack to bite my head off without witnesses.

"Give me a straight answer," she said when we were far enough from the shop's entrance. "Just how far are you taking this?"

"All you need to know is that I have someone high enough in the food chain to help me," I replied, digging into the little plastic bag of mandarins. I chose one for myself and handed her one.

She snatched it from me without much thought, surprising herself doing so. She quickly recomposed herself and continued arguing.

"Not high enough," she hissed and began digging at the orange peel. "Not if you're asking me to help."

"His position's a bit... sticky," I replied, starting to head back to the dirt path from whence we came. "So, are you going to help me?"

She pretended to pay more attention to peeling the little orange's skin. It came off with ease, reminding me why I liked them so much.

"What's the actual plan?" she mumbled, a few steps behind me. "Because if it's a stupid plan—"

"No matter how I go about it, it's going to be a stupid plan."

"If it's _bound to fail_," she corrected herself. "I'm not helping."

"Well, you and I would go down there obviously." I threw the entire mandarin peel into the grass off the side of the road. "I just need one person who knows how bodies are accounted for—which would be you. Then I need someone who can tamper with the cameras on the dealership floor level. That would be Ryuunosuke."

"That's all dandy, except for the fact that there's guards around every corner down there. They don't have to ask questions before they shoot."

"Then it looks like we'll play a fun game of hide and seek," I replied, seeing the girl once more.

"This is stupid," Fukui snapped. "Try another friendship exercise because this isn't going to work."

She stood in front of another vendor that held fresh meats. Her eyes caught mine, and again we waved.

"And who the _hell_ are you waving to?!" she hissed, grabbing my arm and pushing it to my side.

"Her." I moved my wrist under Fukui's iron grip to point at the little girl who was now in the back of the store.

Fukui scanned the open store and scowled. Letting my arm go, she grumbled to herself. "Like I said… your sense of humor is shit."

I looked back to the little girl, who was in plain sight, and then back to Fukui.

_"What's wrong with you two?" she snapped. "Ami, what are you talking about?"_

I sped up after her, and she turned around in surprise. With each step forward I took, she mirrored one back—away from me.

My strong stride eventually cornered her against a lamppost. "If you can't see her, why can you see everything underneath the dealership?"

"Figured it was a ghost," she spat before turning her gaze towards me. "Because of the damn talismans. Some suck up ki and others _expose_ youki."

The talismans, I remembered, lined the walls. _Every_ wall.

"That's counterproductive," I argued.

"Not really. Exposing them brings out their ki."

"So they're…"

"Slowly dying. Yeah." She shoved me away from her, but I steadied myself after a few shaky steps. "It also makes it so humans who aren't spiritually aware—" She gestured to herself. "—can see them to perform extractions."

"Then is it doing the same to us when we're down there? Is it sucking up our ki?"

"No. I just said it exposes _youki_. Besides, there's a plethora of different talismans put up." She moved from the lamp post and into the middle of the small street to keep me from cornering her again. "I wouldn't know what they all do. I just know there's a lot."

"Then why can't I feel anything down there if youki is being exposed?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because the ones that suck up ki work fast enough to make it feel like—"

"There's no net ki," I finished. "So then, every room and hallway down there is like that?"

She nodded.

I wondered whether that would work to our disadvantage. I probably wouldn't be able to use my ki as a weapon…

She glowered at me; a frown crept upon her face as she watched me run through ideas in my head. "You're aware of what happens to people who commit treason, right?"

I looked to her, distracted. "Death."

"And not just yours," she insisted. "_Everyone_ you know, too. Everyone you care for will have their lives ruined if not just ended."

It was something I figured. Something I expected. Hearing it affirmed, though, sent a chill of fear down my back.

I kept my composure, controlling the muscles in my throat to make sure the fear didn't seep out with my words. "Then it looks like we'll have to make sure this doesn't fall through, now won't we?"

The frown rolled into a snarl, and she sucked her tongue before looking away from me.

"Are you in?" I asked. "Or not?"

"I'll ask one last time, and if I don't get a straight answer, I'm out." She kept her gaze down the empty street. _"How far_ are you taking this?"

"Elaborate."

"Wh…" She looked to me, confused, and then her snarl turned hostile. "How _far_ are you planning on taking this? You can't think just taking out this one camp is going to fix everything."

"If Reikai, when presented with what's really going on in this sector, doesn't take action, I'll overthrow them too."

Fukui laughed, loudly—a short, single laugh, but loud nonetheless. "You think you can take down an entire _government_? Ruled by _gods_?"

"No, not really," I replied. "But I'll be damned if I don't try."

"This is stupid." She turned on her heels to head back to the path without me. "I'm not helping something that's bound to fail."

A gust of wind brushed past us, kicking up dust from the ground around our feet.

"Be honest, is Natsume aware of my end goal?" I asked, hastily walking after her. "Or Hayashi?"

She stopped, hesitated. "No. Not as far as I know, at least."

"I made it this far. I've exposed enough inconsistencies already. Even if I fail, someone else will come to take my place." I reached for her arm, pulling her back. "You want to help, Fukui. I know you do. Don't be afraid to take the opportunity to do it."

She pried her arm from my grip and grumbled. "What, are you some fucking life coach now?"

"I just want you to know that you have an opportunity, Fukui," I snapped. "You have an opportunity to try fixing something you've fed into ever since you remember. You have a chance for redemption."

"I could overthrow Reikai in its entirety!" she laughed bitterly. "And even that wouldn't change everything I've done."

"But it's better than doing nothing. It's better than walking away from a chance to show your remorse." I watched her hands, at her sides, clench into fists and shake in anger.

I couldn't do this without her help. I couldn't get a live prisoner and get away with it without Ryuunosuke. I waited anxiously for her to respond, worried. If she walked away, Ryuunosuke would too.

"When Akane and Ami are busy," she said suddenly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as another gust of wind picked up. "When they're busy, we'll release a prisoner."

* * *

**Shizuru.**

Beads of sweat dropped to the wood floor below me. My hot breath bounced off the floor and wafted back up to my face. I wanted to make comments about her weight, but that was crossing a line for her. I wouldn't be bitter about that fact had she not been sitting on me.

"Fifty-two… Fifty-three…" she counted off. "Come on, Shizuru. You have less than a hundred and fifty left now."

"Mention how many I have left one more time, Aiko," I threatened. "I'll—"

"Ah, Miyuki!" She shifted her weight on me and I almost lost what little strength I had left in my arms.

"Aiko, don't move so fast!" Maya chided, practically falling off my lower back as I stabilized myself. "I don't want to fall off."

"Can I borrow your makeup?" she ignored Maya. "I have a date tonight."

"Sure," the ogre replied as she passed by.

My arms were on fire. My shoulders burned. Every movement felt like they were ripping in two. My back was ready to split in half.

"Kurama?" Maya chirped, changing her position. "Oh, is it official?"

"No," she laughed nervously. "I'm just joking."

Maya began bombarding the girl with questions, shaking her by the shoulders. If I lost strength and collapsed I had to start over and I wouldn't have it be from these gossiping hens. I had half a mind to throw them off me, but this was an initiation. If I couldn't deal with them I wasn't fit to help.

And I couldn't throw away this opportunity.

"I don't know how that'd benefit him," Aiko replied. "Putting a label on it, I mean… He seems fine where we're at."

This opportunity… In the end, who did it ultimately benefit?

My breathing deepened. The muscles in my throat strained and burned. My eyelids were heavy.

Was I also in this for myself?

"Ah, Shizuru, your ponytail is falling out," Aiko said. She gently picked up the loose hair from my neck. "I'll fix it."

I paused, arms shaking violently mid-pushup. Aiko's fingers worked my hair carefully, gently pulling out the knots. She didn't mind the drenched strands of sweat.

This benefited Kazuma, but also me. The choice to come here wasn't to make him happy; it was to make me happy too. Why, though? Had I become that unhappy with a quiet life? The safe life?

"All fixed!"

No… It was for the both of us.

A sharp weight knocked the wind out of me. Though I almost fell face first into the hardwood floor, I felt significantly lighter.

"Genkai, stop!" Maya cried from somewhere behind me. A loud crash and heavy thud came next.

"I hate this place…" Aiko groaned. "Do what she asks? Ass whooping. Don't do what she asks? Ass whooping."

"Just because Shizuru's training has begun doesn't mean yours has stopped!" Genkai replied. I felt now was a good time to continue finishing my task. If she looked over and saw me dawdling, I'd be next on her hit list. "Now, draw it out of her."

"From behind, Shizuru!" Aiko called as I felt a flare of heat soaring towards me.

Muscles practically splitting open, I pushed all my weight onto my arms to flip over. I jumped out of the way in time to dodge Aiko's signature flamethrower reiki.

"Don't warn your target," Genkai chastised.

Aiko took a fighting stance with her feet spread apart. Still, she was light, bouncing on the balls of her feet eagerly.

"Try focusing your ki, okay?" she said, lifting her hands up to form half-curled fists. "Let it come out naturally. Don't force anything."

"Am I helping too?" Maya asked, sitting upright and pointing a slender index finger at herself. She looked to Genkai, who seemingly ignored her.

"I don't know if I'm ready for a threesome," I replied, repressing the growing curve of my lips.

Aiko was faster than I last remembered. No wheezing three seconds in, no coughing up a lung. She closed in on me in seconds and sent a right hook my way that rivaled the girl gangs back in my junior high years.

With a slight step to the left, she passed by me. Catching herself mid-stride, she pivoted and sent her foot to my head. Her calf slammed into my forearm as I pushed against it.

She jumped back, landing a couple feet away. "Fight back, Shizuru! That's the only way we're going to draw it out."

She ran at me again, but before she could attack first, I sent a blow her way. She ducked out of the way with ease and aimed for my torso. Gripping her wrist, I spun around and dragged her over my shoulder.

She flew a few feet before landing on the palms of her hands.

It was one thing to have reiki and another thing to use it. It wasn't something I'd ever bothered with, considering I never needed it. If I was going to fight, I likely didn't need it. It was a foreign concept to me, controlling it.

Still, I needed to be of use here. If not, they'd send me back home and pick up Kazuma in my place. I couldn't let that happen.

I'd exerted ki before in intimidation; I'd play off that. It was difficult to focus with Aiko barraging me with attacks, but she soon realized what I was up to. She kept her distance as she reverted to using her comfort attacks.

The heat was bearable so long as I kept my distance. I was able to really focus. My ki wasn't going anywhere until it was too late to dodge the wave of fire Aiko had sent towards me.

I wouldn't dodge it in time. I focused all the ki in my hand outward—I didn't care what it did so long as it stopped that wall of flame from engulfing me.

"Shizuru, move!" Aiko cried as the heat surrounded me…

The fire licked the hairs on my body, but not an inch closer—I opened my eyes. A bright green light blinded my line of vision.

"Woah!" Maya gasped. "A sword. How cool!"

Aiko, now significantly closer to me, slapped her hand to her chest and sighed in relief. "Oh thank god that broke the flames."

I lowered my arm, hand gripped tight around the handle. "A…katana."

"Seems the Kuwabara family are warriors at heart," Genkai said, mainly to herself.

I stared down at the sword as a strange sense of accomplishment washed over me. Goosebumps prickled the skin that had just nearly been kissed by flames. I raised the sword as I felt the accomplishment turn into excitement.

"Now we're talking…" Aiko grinned, returning to her fighting stance.

* * *

**Kurama.**

It was late Sunday night. We'd both recently returned home from our routine weekend obligations. The café was quiet, practically empty. It had a warm, homey atmosphere, but that may have just been because of my company. Trendy, dim lighting gave the establishment a sleepy feel. The walls were lined with decorate, modern art. A soulful piano tune played from the ceiling speakers.

She scribbled on the napkin, absorbed in her thoughts. I watched her from across the table, stirring the sugar in my tea. I asked her to the café, not just for personal time but to give her something. Aside from greeting me, she'd been unusually quiet and pensive. I could only assume the assignment was coming soon. That was why I wanted to give this to her before she made any concrete decisions.

"When is it?" I asked.

"No set date," she replied, pen twirling around her fingers as she stared down at the napkin. "I've talked to Fukui , but I still need to have a plan started."

Her fruit salad, shoved to the side, had gone untouched since the waitress set it there ten minutes ago. I reached across the table and gently pried the napkin from under her fingers.

"Relax." I watched her eyes forlornly follow the paper as I set it aside. "If you don't take breaks, you won't be able to think of all possibilities."

With a heavy inhale, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I know, but…"

"Your entrance isn't a problem," I reassured her. "It's your exit. Knowing the locations and times of the guard's paths is what matters. After that, it's only about not leaving a trail of suspicion behind you."

Then came the hefty exhale and the slowly opening eyes. "I know…"

"Because you can make a body switch and leave no evidence behind, your only issue is avoiding guards."

A smile crept upon her lips slowly and then she broke into a grin. Pulling the fruit salad in front of her, she leaned on the table. "You're right. So, what's the occasion? It's not like you to ask me on a date."

"It's also not like you to take makeup to Genkai's."

"Oh, it's Miyuki's," she laughed. "She likes purples, if you couldn't tell. But really, what's the occasion? Are things in Makai coming to an end?"

"No," I replied, reaching into my pants pocket. "I have something for you; something for your assignment."

"Oh?" Bright brown eyes widened in surprise. She leaned back in her chair and grabbed the small fork. "What is it?"

Hiding it under my palm, I rested it on the table. She leaned over and placed her hand on mine. Nimble fingers rubbed the back of my hand, and I hesitated in pulling away. Like a slick middleman, it disappeared into her sleeve like it was never on the table to begin with.

"Looks like…" She trailed off as I corrected her.

"It's a powder from a plant exclusive in Makai. One whiff and they're passed out. Short term memories can be erased and false ones planted."

"I was going to say heroin."

"How would you know what looks like?"

She smiled. "I watch movies."

"Right. Well, you make sure they breathe it in," I said. "You could try liquefying it and injecting it in them but that would leave evidence."

"Right, right. I understand." She began pushing around her salad. "How about, for once, we just pretend our lives aren't shit, yeah? Just for the duration of the date."

"That would border roleplaying." I took a sip of the tea. Ah, I'd let it get cold.

"I bet you get off on that."

"Depends on the roles. A nine-to-five office job life. Plus three hours total stuck in rush-hour traffic." I smiled. "That kind of life does sound arousing, though."

"Do I get the stay-at-home wife role or am I a breadwinner too?"

"Considering even your miso soup tastes like backwash…" I ducked out of flying melon slice's way.

"Well, do we have kids?" She shoved a small strawberry in her mouth.

"Could you imagine smaller versions of either of us running around?"

"God, that'd be a nightmare," she laughed. "Speaking of mini-me's running around. Did you see when Nagashito's little brother was waiting for him outside the campus gate the other day? Dead ringer for him, I swear."

Conversations drifted around from classmates to coursework to future plans. I enjoyed the times like this, where the two of us silently agreed to pretend nothing was wrong. We had no obligations, no enemies, and no reason to calculate our every action.

Except it was always one of us who couldn't help but ruin the moment. I was the one who had more tact about doing so, dare I even say it would be done with grace. We left the café, her arm linked around mine. Affectionate to those who paid mind in the crowded night streets, opinions bordering risqué, most eyes turned away quickly.

We blended into the crowd at the corner of the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn. My hand slid around her waist and I pulled her towards me. Feigning an embrace, my hand reached her arm and my thumb dug into a pressure point. She stiffened, jerking sharply before tensing.

My free hand crept around her neck from behind before resting under her jaw. Another pressure point pressed, and her knees buckled beneath her. My hand released her arm and clamped around her mouth.

The sign across the street flashed a bright white, and the crowd around us began moving. I let her go gently, and she took a deep breath before looking up to me when worried eyes.

I wouldn't be there to walk her through it when she needed to act, and she knew that.

A trembling hand reached to my arm and gripped the fabric of my sleeve with all its strength. I rested my hand atop hers and began walking. Our night was quiet from then on, but the closeness made up for it in its own way.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait and short update. I wanted to have this posted for the third anniversary, but I really struggled with this chapter. It's a set up for the next one, which—if I can ever get to it—will be one hell of a ride. At least, in my opinion.

I still don't know if I'm technically ready to come off hiatus just yet. I guess part of that decision will depend on how this chapter is received.

Thanks so much to _ChaoticHarmony1991, BloodLustPrincess, GrisailleDreams_, _YuYuHakushoObsesser_, and two guests for reviewing, though. And thanks to all who followed and faved. Hope you liked this chapter.

I still run my yyh/fanfic blog on tumblr. It's ** lithiurnflower **at tumblr dot comif you want to check it out.


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